The Bronze Viper
by Katie Macpherson
Summary: Always a pragmatist, Padma Patil has known about reincarnation for a long time. So when a misplaced spell at the Battle for Hogwarts drains her life she utters the ancient words and awakens in a new life, one where she is the daughter of a Viper. But war is no stranger to her and with her introduction to a wolf of Winterfell, war may be closer than she thought. Padma/Jon
1. Chapter 1

**After some decisive editing and complete change in direction from where the story was previously, I have decided to repost the Bronze Viper. I know that I have previously had a sort of love hate relationship with this story, but I'm the sort of person who is very critical of her own writing and if I don't like something, I can't just leave it there. I have to take it down and work on it before I put it up again. But I know that I have jerked you guys around a lot with this story and so for that I apologize. This is the final finished version with a second chapter coming tonight which will illustrate where the story is going to go. Again, I am so sorry for all the teasing and playing chicken with the Bronze Viper, but now that I am finally satisfied with it, I hope to finish it completely and not have to change my mind all over again. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

Because of her family's ancient Hindu roots, Padma Patil was no stranger to the idea of reincarnation. She had read all the manuscripts of her ancestors and people they knew being reborn into different lives as different people and all about karma and how it affected one's energies.

If someone had good karma and had done good deeds in their previous life, they might be reborn as the son of a king live in wealth and luxury all of that life.

But if they squandered the chance they had been given in the life of luxury and comfort, than they might be reborn as an animal, cursed to wander the streets or the lands around until someone inevitably killed them.

It was a rather galling prospect when one thought of it.

And perhaps that was why the elder of the Patil twins had invested so much time in simply being the best she could at everything she did.

After all, her intelligence and ambition had earned her a spot and Ravenclaw house as well as tying every single year she had been in school for top spot in grades next to Hermione Granger.

She was far more driven to be the best than her twin was her had gone to Gryffindor and cared more about boys and fashion than she ever did. Parvati cared little for academics and spent more time admiring the opposite sex in Hogwarts than she ever did about opening a book.

Padma thought her sister incredibly foolish for wasting her time as she had but there was no talking Parvati out of it as she was incredibly stubborn.

After a while, Padma had simply given up trying to teach her anything and left her twin well enough alone.

Soon Parvati would see the error of her ways.

When she was sixteen, her parents had told her about the ancient roots of their family and how reincarnation was a part of magic that they could learn if they wanted to. It involved a great deal of study and training as well as raw power and will but learning how to reincarnate oneself was something the twins could learn if they were interested.

Because it was such a delicate branch of magic, one could not learn it until they had reached their majority, which for girls was eighteen and boys was twenty one.

Because the twins were nearing that year, they could now be told about the idea and given the option to study it when they were older.

Parvati had been horrified by the idea, but Padma had been fascinated and had dived right into the study as soon as she had been allowed to do so.

She had learned that when one was reincarnated into a different life, they would retain the strongest memories of their old one and that those memories would be the things that would guide them in the new.

That was somewhat comforting as she couldn't yet fathom not being Padma Patil anymore and the idea that she would still have some of her memories of her old life was a relieving thought.

At least she wouldn't forget who she was when it was all over.

So throughout her last few years of school, Padma studied reincarnation, only determining that she would try something like it when she had lived a good long life and was ready to go on to the next great adventure as Professor Dumbledore often called it.

After all, what was death but another doorway to what lay beyond.

Once one began the cycle of reincarnation, it was difficult to stop. Padma learned that someone could live life after life and essentially achieve immortality through non indestructibly means.

But someone she had a feeling that this wasn't what the Dark Lord had had in his mad quest for eternal life.

And then the war had happened….and all thoughts of reincarnation were put aside as Padma did everything to help her family and friends along with Harry Potter fight back against the tide of evil that had come to Hogwarts.

But it hadn't been enough.

The battle had been lost when Harry had fallen during the battle of Hogwarts to a formidable Lord Voldemort.

Padma remembered being shocked as she never actually thought that Harry would die. She had known there was a prophecy about him being destined to kill Voldemort.

That was one thing she hadn't been able to get Parvati to shut up about.

Her sister had been beside herself when Harry had asked her to the Yule Ball, but had been vastly disappointed with the end result of the evening.

Padma supposed she was even more disappointed now.

 _It was all for nothing,_ she thought numbly as she fired spell after spell at her enemies throughout the hall.

It was only a matter of time until she joined the pile of bodies on the ground as well.

Her sister had already died a few hours earlier during the first battle and Padma had been too numb to cry or grieve or even shed a tear.

She and Parvati were identical twins and it was often said that twins, either identical or fraternal were closer than regular siblings.

While she and Parvati had argued a lot and been different in many ways, Padma had still loved her sister fiercely and watching her die was like watching a part of herself die as well.

After that a red haze had descended over her vision and she no longer cared whether they won or lost. The only thing she cared about was killing as many of the bastards as possible.

Along with the help of Hermione, Luna and Ginny, Padma had succeeded in putting down Riddle's mad dog Bellatrix Lestrange.

But she had no time to relish her victory when the insane witch fell because in that moment the spell she hadn't noticed had hit her and she was knocked off her feet.

As she lay there on the floor, a fatal hole in her stomach with her blood draining out onto the cold stones of the Great Hall all around her, Padma suddenly remembered what she had been studying for the last two years.

If there was ever a time to try and save herself….this was it.

She might never see her family again, but if she didn't do this, she would die anyway.

And really all she was thinking about was…. _I'm not ready to die. I'm only seventeen. I haven't even begun to live yet._

So the elder of the Patil twins summoned the last of her strength and began chanting the words to the spell that would send her mind and soul into a different body and a different life.

She wasn't sure if she would have the strength to perform such a spell, but at the moment, she didn't really care.

As the light began to fade all around her, Padma was astonished when she felt a surge of power race through her…..and then the magic took hold.

Her last sensation was one of flying through the air at an incredible velocity before her strength gave out and everything went black.

Ω

When Padma opened her eyes again, she was shocked at how sensitive her eyes were to the light.

Granted it felt like she had been in the dark for a while but it shouldn't have taken her eyes this long to adjust to the illumination.

She was in a bright warm room that was being illuminated by the light of a midday sun with a warm breeze blowing through it. There was a fireplace in the far corner even though it wasn't necessary and for a moment, Padma wondered if she was back in her room in Revenclaw Tower.

She felt hot too, as if she had spent a good deal of time baking in the sun and was just now coming out of it. Her skin felt hot as well and as she reached down to touch it, Padma was astonished to see something she hadn't been expecting.

Her hands were tiny.

They were literally baby like hands running tiny fingers up and down her arms.

And in that moment, Padma realized that it had worked…

She had successfully completed her first reincarnation.

The emotions that came over her then were immediately excitement and fear because she was in a new place and fear because she had successfully made the transition and now was longer Padma Patil.

She would have a new name, a new body, a new face, new parents, new siblings…..

The amount of new things she would have to learn and do suddenly overwhelmed her and she felt tears well in her eyes for everything that she had left behind to enter this new life.

The moment the tears slid down her cheeks however, a hand appeared out of nowhere and wiped them away.

"Don't cry my love. I don't want to ever see your beautiful face so sad."

Shocked out of her grief at the sound of the beautiful voice, Padma looked up and felt her eyes widen in surprise.

She had been so busy mentally analyzing her new life and the fact that she was once more a baby that she hadn't even looked around.

Now as Padma looked upward, she was amazed to find herself looking at one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen.

She had long dark lustrous curls and deep brown eyes. Her skin was a lovely olive tone as if she had spent just enough time in the sun to turn it a dull gold and there was a lovely flowery scent about her. She was gazing down at Padma with love in her eyes and the newly reincarnated child knew without a doubt that this woman was her new mother.

Happiness and sadness tussled within her as she was delighted with the sight of the woman, but also sad for the mother she had left behind.

Padma took a deep breath then and forced her grief aside. She had the mentality of a seventeen year old in the mind of a child, surely she would have the presence of mind to control her emotions.

"That's better," the woman said softly. "I don't ever want to see you with tears in your eyes my life. My first born daughter should never look sad."

So, she was the first born again like she had been born before Parvati in her first life. That hadn't changed at least.

"She's beautiful my love."

At the sound of the deep voice that was beautifully accented, Padma turned and felt the breath hitch in her throat when she saw a new person come into focus and stand next to the woman who was her new mother.

He was one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. His black hair was in ringlets and as dark as his eyes. These two features stood out against his olive toned skin and as she took in the pale yellow robes he was wearing, she could tell that he was still young. His body was lean and hard no doubt from a life time of physical exercise.

But what struck Padma the most was the look in his eyes as he looked down at her. There was a sparkle in those dark orbs that she had remembered her first mother telling her that her own father had had when she and her twin were born.

 _Is….Is this my new father?_ Padma thought in awe.

"And she looks like you Oberyn," the woman purred. "It's fitting that our daughter should be as beautiful as her father. The Martell blood is in her after all."

These were indeed her parents and it warmed Padma to see the obvious love between them when her new father bent down and gave her mother a gentle kiss.

 _Oberyn,_ she thought. _And odd name, although I must admit not the strangest that I've ever heard._

"Except for her golden eyes," her new father commented. "I have no idea where she inherited those. Her aunt's are a pale brown but not so gold as these ones."

"She will be special," her new mother said looking proud.

Padma had known that there would be side effects of her attempts at reincarnation but it struck her as odd that golden eyes was one of them.

Although as far as side effects went, this one was hardly a bad one.

"What would you like to name her my love?" her mother asked. "I suppose she's gone long enough without a name."

There was a moment where Padma experienced a sense of vertigo before she realized that her father had picked her up and was walking away from her mother.

 _Where is he taking me?_ She wondered.

It was then that an odd sound reached her ears and at once she recognized it as the sound of the ocean.

The room she was currently in had a balcony that looked out onto the ocean.

It reminded Padma a bit of a villa in Rome that looked out onto the Mediterranean Sea for how blue the water was and how they were so close to it.

The idea that she was going to be raised in a home by the water thrilled her as she had always loved to swim but it hadn't been always possible in rainy cold England.

The moment Padma's eyes adjusted to the light, she looked up towards the bright yellow sun and smiled at it.

She could see that her father's own eyes were alight with pleasure at the gesture.

All of a sudden he turned her so his hand was resting gently at the back of her head and the other was wrapped around her middle so she could see the ocean.

If she was able to gasp, Padma was sure she would have.

The ocean was the bluest she had ever seen and it went for miles when it met the white sandy beach. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze was blowing bringing with it the scent of exotic fruits and flowers that made Padma's stomach rumble.

"This is your new home little one," Oberyn whispered in her ear. "Sunspear in Dorne at the tip of Westeros. The water gardens are will you grow up."

Padma smiled again, both for the wonderful picture he was painting but also in confusion for she had no idea where Dorne was much less Westeros.

 _I suppose I'll figure it all out eventually. This sense of the unknown was something I did sign up for when I chose to reincarnate myself into a different life._

"And as such, you will bear the name of one of the ruling princesses of Dorne," her father whispered. "Aliandra. Aliandra Sand."

"It's a beautiful name my love," the woman who was her mother said. She had come out onto the balcony beside her father was leaning slightly against him. "But don't you think it's a bit too early for this sort of instruction? She's only a few hours old after all."

"It is never too early to begin learning new things Ellaria my love," her father said and Padma blinked at the hearing of her new mother's name for the first time. It was certainly a beautiful one. "My first daughter will be brought up in our ways."

"Very well then," Ellaria said gently as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Teach her…..this one will be special…..she's going to need it."

Padma smiled up at her new parents and then closed her eyes as she whispered goodbye to her old life and her old parents and her old sister.

She would miss them….but she didn't regret her choice. She would have died either way and she knew that they would want her to be happy.

Padma had a feeling that she would be happy here.

Her two new parents obviously loved her and each other and that would be enough for her right now.

She would learn all there was to know about this new world that she was living in as that part of her personality hadn't changed.

Padma wanted to learn it all but first of all she would have to begin becoming used to her new name.

It certainly was a beautiful one…..Aliandra.

Although Sand was an odd last name and one she was sure came from her mother just as the one of Martell came from her father, but she had a feeling she would get used to it.

 _It certainly seems that there are going to be a lot of things I will need to become used to. So here are the first steps in doing that. My name is Aliandra…..and I am the first born daughter of Ellaria Sand and Oberyn Martell. I do hope that this life will have less tragedy than the last._

Ω


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It turned out that she had been right…there were a lot of things that the newly named Aliandra had to become used to.

Living in Westeros as the bastard daughter of one of the younger princes of Dorne was a lot to take in and had she been a lesser person with not an ounce of the logic that she had possessed in her old life, she might easily have succumbed to confusion and sadness.

This new life was essentially the Middle Ages with a twist as knights once more roamed the lands and the realm that she lived in of Westeros was separated into seven areas.

Before Aegon the Conqueror had come to Westeros with his sisters and his dragons, there had also been seven kingdoms. Her home of Dorne was one of them, but there were also the Stormlands, the Riverlands, the Reach, the Rock, the North and the East.

Each region with their own history was something she had to spend extensive time reading up on as well as the politics and economics of each.

For the last three centuries since the Doom of Valyria however, Westeros had been ruled by the Targaryens, and of course she had had to learn all about them and the history of Valyria as well which also took time.

Though she hadn't held the top grades like Hermione Granger had had when she was at Hogwarts, the newly named Aliandra was always a close second and she had prided herself on her thirst for knowledge.

It had been why she was sorted into Ravenclaw after all.

She never wanted to stop learning and that particular personality trait had carried over from her first life.

Learning absolutely everything there was to know about her new home and the fact that feudalism and slavery were once more very real things took months to wrap her head around.

The newly named Aliandra was very glad that her ability to read and write hadn't diminished and she shocked her parents when her mother found her reading in the library one day and making notes on everything that she read.

Her uncle Doran however was beyond surprised that his wayward brother had produced a child of great intelligence and he spent many an hour carrying her about the water gardens and answering all the questions she asked in her rather baby like voice.

Despite all that she learned however, having a new life and a new name and a new role was still a lot to get used to.

Fortunately however she had nearly a year before her vocal chords were developed enough to start talking and in that time all she did was observe her mother and father and their interactions, both with each other and everyone around them.

She noticed a few interesting things.

Firstly, her mother Ellaria was no highborn lady and in fact her father's mistress or paramour. Prince Oberyn was not married but he kept a concubine all the same and due to the legendary patience of her Uncle Prince Doran the Lord of Sunspear, he allowed it.

Bastards were treated far better in Dorne than they were in the rest of Westeros however and not for the first time was the newly named Aliandra glad she had been born here as opposed to some other place.

Her mother affectionately referred to her as Ali and both of her parents doted on her as she was their only child.

There had even been whispered conversations between the both of them about legitimizing her when she had lain awake in her crib listening as her parents talked.

That had certainly peaked Aliandra's interest but she had a feeling that it was just talk. The only one who would be able to legitimize her was her uncle Prince Doran.

But there was no way she was about to ask him for such a gift as to be in line after his children to inherit the mantle of Princess of Dorne if something were to happen to them.

In the meantime, Aliandra decided she wasn't going to give anyone any reason to remove her from the Martell home due to her birth.

Apart from Dorne, bastards weren't looked on very favorably in Westeros and though her uncle's patience was legendary, Aliandra didn't want to give him any reason to remove her and her mother from the palace.

She needn't have worried about that however. Her father Prince Oberyn loved her mother and though he was a man who would not be satisfied by one woman alone, her mother seemed to understand that.

Aliandra hadn't at first.

It had bothered her to no end to know that her own father was not being faithful to the woman he had fathered her with.

It took her the first nine months of her birth after she had fully understood this to wrap her head around it.

She remembered her own father in her first life completely loving and being completely being satisfied by her mother so it didn't make sense to her that her second father was like this with any woman that came along.

After a while however, Aliandra began to understand that to her father, known for his rather voracious appetites, didn't consider it an act of betrayal. It was just sex to him and while he took pleasure with her mother, it was impossible for him to be satisfied by one person alone, male or female.

It became easier for Aliandra to grasp that after she learned that her mother was the same way. In a way, both of her parents were pansexual, a fact which both surprised, alarmed and confused her when she learned about it.

After a while though, she decided she would stop trying to figure it out as it only made her head hurt and their love for her was no less despite their inclinations. She decided in the end it didn't really matter.

When she had still been Padma Patil and had visited the home of her ancient family members in the Far East, she had learnt from some odd and disturbing practices that were still engaged in.

She was still the apple of her parent's eye and doted upon by her father.

Her magic was still as strong as it had ever been when she had died at seventeen although she had had to work to control it because she didn't have a wand to center her core. It was a lot more work but very rewarding all the same when she learned to cast the spells she had learned at eleven without a wand.

And of course one didn't need a wand for apparition to work, so she could go anywhere she wanted in the palace or outside of it and no one would be the wiser.

Her parents already knew that there was something odd about her, given that she seemed to turn up in the oddest places and seemed far more grown up than she should have been.

At the age of one she was walking and talking and her speech was so mature that it impressed all who spoke with her. One might think that they were conversing with a tiny adult as opposed to a still new child.

Aliandra read early and learned to write early and excelled at languages impressing both her parents and her uncle.

Her mother would often look at her with pride in her eyes and say that she had known her little Ali was special from the moment she looked into her golden eyes.

No one truly knew how special though until her younger sister Tyene was born when Aliandra was barely one.

Oberyn's first daughter was eager to be a sibling and had been very excited when she learned that her newest one was a girl as she still remembered Parvati and all the fun they had had when they were children.

Aliandra had been in her mother's room sitting on the bed next to her baby sister and teaching her how to roll. This was great amusement for Tyene as her older sister tried to demonstrate the technique to her.

Upon seeing the success that she was having, Tyene appeared to imitate it but suddenly went too far and rolled off the bed.

Her mother was too far away to get to her and only had time to gasp.

Aliandra didn't even think and lashed out her hand, whispering the levitation spell and stopping the baby an inch before she hit the floor.

Tyene squealed in delight and clapped her tiny hands together as her sister slowly used her magic to bring her back to the bed.

It was only after that she looked up and caught the look of astonishment in her mother's eyes.

She had been relieved to see that there was no fear there, only raw shock and perhaps a bit of awe as well.

She hadn't said anything and Aliandra hoped that the incident might have been forgotten but it wasn't until later in the evening when she was sitting by herself in the water gardens that her father had come to find her.

He hadn't said anything and had simply sat down beside her on the bench where she was sitting, swinging her legs and reading a massive book from the library.

Her mother and father had become used to her rather mature habits and after a while had accepted the fact that she was reading at two and speaking like they would. Her mother had called her special after all.

"Did Mama tell you?" Aliandra asked without even looking up from the book she was reading.

She found reading was a great distraction which allowed her to learn all she could about the new life she was living in. So far she had learned quite a good deal on Dornish history and her father had told her all about her aunt Elia who was living in the capital and would soon be queen.

"Yes, she did," Oberyn replied and Aliandra nodded, rather unsure what to think.

Her magic had been something that she was told was normal in her old life. Both of her parents had it and nearly all of her family members. She was from an ancient Hindu caste that had had magic in their blood for thousands of years and magic was seen in that family as a gift.

Aliandra had come to learn that living in Westeros meant that very few people had magic like she did and the Faith of the Seven were committed to burning all of those they deemed as heretics.

It was much more dangerous to have magic here than it had been in England. There were people here who had the power to hurt her if they knew what she was capable of. The mindsets of many were not as progressed as they had been in her first life.

As such, she was reluctant to share her powers with her new family as she had been afraid what they might think. When Tyene had fallen though, she hadn't thought at all. All she had thought of was her baby sister and how she might be hurt if she didn't do something.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked, staring hard at the book. She didn't think she would be able to bear it if her father was upset with her.

She felt a hand gently touch her chin and force her to look up so she was staring into her father's dark eyes.

Aliandra was struck by the gentle look on his face and it caused her eyes to fill with tears.

"No my angel," he said in that deeply accented voice of his. "Why would I be angry?"

"Because I didn't tell you about what I could do."

At this, one of his eyebrows rose. "And what exactly is it that you can do? And for how long have you been able to do it?"

Aliandra sighed and stared hard at one of the ornamented large potted plants ten feet away from the bench.

She raised her hand up as if she were willing it to rise and she could feel her father stiffen beside her incredibly slightly as said pot rose into the air. After letting it hover above the ground for a few seconds, she flipped her hand over and pushed it back towards the earth, letting the pot lower to the tiles of the water garden.

Oberyn was quiet for a long time and Aliandra was almost afraid to look at him. She knew her magic would protect her if she was cast out because of it, but it would break her heart to do so.

She finally took a deep breath and looked up at him, sensing his hard eyes on her.

Oberyn's expression was unfathomable and he muttered something under his breath that she didn't quite catch.

"I've known I was different for a while," Aliandra explained. "But it wasn't until I could do things like that, that I realized how different. I was afraid to tell you though. I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Oberyn asked after a long silence and he sounded genuinely curious.

Sensing that he might not be angry with her, Aliandra took another deep breath. "I didn't know what you would think. Magic and sorcery isn't something that's very normal in Westeros especially with the faith of the seven burning people alive who practice heresy."

Her father hissed and Aliandra was surprised to see fire in his dark eyes. Somehow she didn't think that he was angry with her however.

After that came some rather choice curses about the faith and the seven themselves which made Aliandra wince.

Her father had never held the faith in high regard, instead choosing to be rather lucid in his beliefs.

"My angel, there is no one that is going to hurt you," he said gently but there was a fire in his eyes that made her nervous. "This does not mean that something is wrong. It only means that what your mother said long ago is true. You are very special. And your uniqueness is something to be nurtured."

Feeling great relief, Aliandra embraced her father. She had been on edge for a while, knowing a confrontation like this would be coming. She wouldn't be able to hide her magic forever and it would be exhausting to try.

Her saving Tyene from a bad fall had actually been a rather opportune way of showcasing her abilities because she had used it to help someone.

Even though her father had no intention to dismiss her because she was different, he did ask her to keep her abilities to herself for the time being. He didn't want anyone to treat her differently because of them. Her uncle Doran was a patient man but there was no telling how others might react if they knew that there was a sorceress in their midst.

In the meantime before they left the water gardens for the night, he told her that he intended to help her. Not necessarily with her magic, but he wanted to make her strong enough so that if someone were to find out about her magic and wish to harm her because of it, she would have another way to defend herself. He wanted to turn her into a viper like he was.

Aliandra was well aware of the formidable reputation of her father and that he was one of the most dangerous men in the Seven Kingdoms so the thought that he wanted to train her to be like him was very exciting to her.

He told her that he wanted to wait until she was a little older and then they would begin her training in earnest as it was crucial that she learn to defend herself.

Deep down, the part of her that was still Padma knew she would never need to truly defend herself with the Muggle means because of her magic, but logic also told her that the more ways she knew to keep herself safe the better.

Magic or no, she was still a bastard and there would be others who might seek to harm her as a way to get to her father.

Aliandra knew she wouldn't be able to abide by that and the thought that someone might try to hurt her sister also because of who she was caused her blood to boil.

After she had left her father that night after their conversation, Aliandra had snuck into her mother's chambers where Tyene's crib was and had reached a hand through the bars so she could hold her baby sister's hand.

The babe was awake and looking up at her with large dark eyes. She smiled upon seeing her older sister and giggled.

Her coloring was just like their father's, olive skin, dark hair and dark eyes. Aliandra could see herself in the baby's face as well and knew that she felt just as protective of Tyene as she had of Parvati when she was still Padma Patil.

"I won't let anyone hurt you," she whispered. "They took my other sister from me using their magic and there wasn't anything I could do to stop them. But things are different now. I have magic and no one else does. If anyone tries to hurt you…..I will kill them. I won't lose my family in this life like I did in my last one. I promise."

If anyone had heard a two year old making such declarations it might have been a cause for alarm, as Aliandra was deadly serious.

Padma Patil hadn't been able to protect herself or her family and she had died because of it.

Aliandra Sand wouldn't make the same mistakes.

But several months later, the rebellion came and life took a very drastic turn.

Ω

Aliandra had just turned one when she learned of her aunt and cousins' deaths in the capital. She didn't learn the news until after the fact when she asked her mother why her father was so angry.

She could tell that Oberyn was angry as the smile he so often wore on his face was absent and he didn't speak with anyone as he walked about the Water Gardens, his face set in a stony mask.

When Aliandra cornered her mother to ask what was wrong with her father, all Ellaria would say was that her aunt and her cousins had died and that her father was sad because he had been very close with her.

Even though she was barely a year old, Aliandra understood the pain of loss from her other life and felt sad for her father and then rage later when she understood that her aunt's loss along with those of her cousins had been a result of the rebellion that the Baratheons, Lannisters and Starks had launched on the Targaryens.

Her uncle was sad as well but for him, it was much easier to see it in his eyes. The deep brown orbs always seemed to be glistening with tears for months after the news had reached Sunspear and Aliandra feared that both her father and her uncle might never recover from the loss of her aunt whom they both had loved very much.

She wanted to help her father but all her mother had said to do was to be there for him and to love him.

Something she had learned as Padma Patil was that it was sometimes better not to talk when someone was upset but to just listen to them.

And so one night when she saw her father sitting along in the Water Gardens, Aliandra decided that now was as good a time as any to put that advice into practice.

She walked right up to him and looked at him for a moment until he became aware of her presence. When he looked up from where his head was in his hands, she could see that while he wasn't crying, his eyes were glistening.

Aliandra sighed and then, with some difficulty climbed onto the bench and hoisted herself into Oberyn's lap so she could put her arms around his neck.

"It's alright Papa," she whispered. "Everything is going to be alright."

Ali felt her father's arms tighten about her small body as he held her close to him.

"No my angel," he whispered back. "I don't think anything is going to be alright for quite a while."

His words scared her because up until that point, Aliandra had never known someone as strong as her father. To her, he was like a god in human form. He had a reputation that was known far and wide but beneath that reputation he loved her and her mother very much. Only a few people saw his gentle side and she was one of them.

But to see him sad….that was something that Aliandra wished she never had to see. Someone like her father should never be sad.

It just didn't seem natural for him to be anything other than happy and the fierce and proud warrior that he was.

Her mother had found them like that an hour later, both of them not having moved from the position they were in.

She said nothing, but merely sat down on the bench next to her lover and daughter and wrapped the both of them in her arms.

Aliandra learned then that sometimes silence really was the best remedy for pain because the following morning, her father seemed a little more like himself.

But she was one of the few who noticed the hardened look in his eyes when he learned of his sister's death.

And it was a hardness that never went away for the rest of his life.

Ω

Life went on in Sunspear after the rebellion and Robert Baratheon took the throne. No one was ever quite the same after learning about Elia Martell's death however.

Aliandra noticed that it took her father several months to return to some semblance of normal and there was a new fire in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

It wasn't until she was older that she learned what the Lannisters had done and learned to hate the lions with a passion that she didn't know she had.

Fortunately it seemed as if she wasn't the only one who shared this sentiment as her father could barely mention the name Lannister without his bottom lip curling into a snarl in disgust.

Ellaria could often be heard muttering about finding the worst poison she possibly could to use on the traitorous dogs, and her Uncle Doran simply said nothing.

Everyone knew that everyone else was thinking vengeful thoughts, they were just too subtle to admit to it.

And for Aliandra herself, she was just feeling sad and angry and confused. She knew she was barely three years old in this new world that she lived in but it registered in her seventeen year old mind that she had lost another part of her new family that she didn't even know she had until after the fact.

And that grated on her.

It caused her to reaffirm her vow to do whatever was necessary to protect her family as it was something she hadn't been able to do as Padma Patil.

As far as Aliandra was concerned, it was open season on anyone who decided to mess with the Martell family.

Her protectiveness only became more acute when her father returned from his travels, first with Obara and then with Nymeria.

Now having two more sisters, Aliandra was faced with a lot more responsibility. Her father took charge of educating her, Tyene and the two others as they grew older and seemed determined to turn them into formidable warriors.

Since she was the eldest, Aliandra often took on some responsibility of caring for her younger siblings.

Obara was the most independent and preferred to be the sort of lone wolf. However her love for her family was great and she wouldn't hesitate to defend them given an opportunity that they were in danger.

Aliandra had to constantly remind her half-sister that she was part of a family unit and being as independent as she was would sometimes have to be put aside.

Aside from their father, whom all the girls worshipped, Nymeria, Tyene and Obara all looked up to Aliandra.

Nymeria and Obara had recently discovered their sister's magic and while they had been a little wary at first, after seeing how she put it to use in a fight, they had been a little envious afterwards.

Aliandra's magic had grown stronger and stronger as the years passed and she had been forced to try and practice it wandlessly.

Her Uncle Doran called her the most mature out of all of her siblings and while he cared for all of her brother's daughters, he couldn't help but he was a little wary around Nymeria and Obara.

Given how fond Tyene was of poison, Aliandra thought that was understandable.

As a sign of good faith and that he was clearly the niece that he favored, Doran began sending Aliandra on brief trips for him throughout Dorne. Because her immediate family knew the extent of her powers, it made her far easier to serve as a messenger for her Uncle Doran and serve as a spy at the same time.

A few years after her aunt and cousins perished in the capital, Aliandra had overheard her uncle speaking with her father about a plan to bring about the end of the Lannisters for what they had done to Elia.

He hadn't divulged a lot of information as of yet but Aliandra had listened eagerly all the same.

Anything to wrest vengeance from those who had taken her aunt and cousins from her was something she was interested in.

But the plan wouldn't be put into effect until she was sixteen.

Ω

 _Years later….._

Sunlight glanced off of Aliandra's blade as it connected with her sister's. Aliandra smiled at her younger sister and faster than Tyene could follow, twirled her sword around and ducked low so she swept her sister's legs out from under her. At the same time she cast a leg locker jinx silently at the younger girl and caused her knees to buckle, landing her on the stones of the water gardens, her sword flying from her hand.

Tyene landed unceremoniously in a heap and muttered a few curses that would have had their mother swatting her upside of her head.

Aliandra smirked at her younger sister. "You're slowing down Ty."

Tyene glared up at her sixteen year old sister. "What do you expect? We've been at this for hours! How are you not tired yet?"

Aliandra twirled her sword in a wide arc before sheathing the blade next to its twin across her back. "Lots of practice."

Tyene rolled her eyes as she struggled to get to her feet. "I don't know why it's necessary for _you_ to practice. You'll never have to learn how to fight. You can disarm me with a wave of your hand and there's nothing I would be able to do about it. You can even disarm father before he gets close to you. With your powers, no one will ever be able to beat you! So why do you need to use a sword?"

Aliandra sighed.

This was a bit of a sore spot between the two sisters. Once she had been old enough to understand, Oberyn had explained to Tyene that Aliandra was…..different. She had powers that normal men didn't have and thus would be more powerful than anyone else given the right amount of training. Tyene had wanted to know if that was why her uncle Doran had favored Aliandra as opposed to the rest of her sisters.

He was gentle with them, but he also held his younger nieces at arm's length because they were unpredictable.

The irony was that though Aliandra was very fierce, she also had a gentle mothering instinct that endeared her to her sisters and made them depend on her even though they didn't want to at times.

When Tyene had seen the extent of what her sister could do, she had been extremely jealous as her skills meant she would always win a fight if she was careful enough.

It had made the younger daughter work twice as hard to make up for what she lacked. Aliandra had already begun training with Oberyn while Tyene had still been learning to walk and as a result had a few years head start on her sister which chafed at Tyene though she loved the older girl fiercely.

In the end, Aliandra had been the one to take her younger sister aside and explain that while she had gifts it didn't make her better than any of her sister's.

 _"I don't know why the gods gave me these gifts," Tyene recalled her saying. "All I know is that with them, I can protect you better along with the rest of our family._

 _Even being a bastard in Dorne can be tricky. We take one step outside of Sunspear and we're no better than peasants. My magic gives me an edge. No one outside of_ _this family knows that I have it and that means that it makes me unpredictable. You may not like it but having it means that I can protect you and our mother and our sister's better than if I didn't have it."_

 _"I just don't understand why I didn't get it," Tyene grumbled. "You don't have to work as hard as Nym and Obara and I do."  
_

 _"I don't know the answer to that," Aliandra said with a far off look on her face. "I don't know where this magic came from or how I ended up with it. But what I do know is that it is a gift that I can use to protect myself and my family. I can ask for no more blessings than our safety."  
_

 _"I suppose you're right."_

They had had this discussion three years ago and even though Tyene had become more accepting of her sister's powers since then, there had been times when she struggled to understand.

Out of all of the eldest Sand Snakes, it was ironically Obara who was the most lucid in understanding her older sister's powers.

She thought it was a blessing from the gods that they would give one of her family powers to protect herself with.

Nym kept her thoughts on the matter to herself after she had learned the truth and only promised to keep it a secret.

Having a good mind for strategy however, she often thought that her older sister's powers would be good for taking someone off guard. She made up her mind to watch the older girl and then make her decision about what she thought later.

Since Oberyn had brought Nym and Obara to Sunspear when they were still children, his four eldest daughters had gotten on extremely well even though there were great variances in their personalities.

Tyene was a hot head, Obara was fierce, Nym was a strategist and Aliandra was cool and level headed.

They all loved each other fiercely and were protective of what was there's.

Aliandra held out a hand and helped her younger sister to her feet who slowly complied though she grumbled all the while.

"I have to use a sword because I need whatever advantages I can. Don't think that just because we live in a palace in Dorne and are treated well here that the same holds true for the rest of Westeros. We are no better than scum to the rest of the world and you don't want to know how poorly bastards are treated outside of Sunspear," she said.

Tyene made to roll her eyes but was stopped when her older sister took her by the shoulders and gently shook her. "Listen to me, we are in a unique position because our father looks after and provides for us. What happens gods forbid if he were to die?"

Tyene's eyes went wide at that and Aliandra knew she had her attention.

"Uncle Doran cares for us but if push came to shove, he would turn us out on the streets with mother right behind us. We are only allowed to live in Sunspear by the grace of our father."

"Uncle Doran wouldn't do that to you," Tyene muttered. "You're his favorite of all of us."

This time Aliandra did roll her eyes. "You know that's not true, I'm useful to him and that is all. And you haven't exactly endeared yourself to him. The last time he made to pat your head, you nearly poisoned him!"

"That wasn't my fault," Tyene protested and Aliandra heaved a sigh, sounding uncommonly like their mother.

"My point is that we train as hard as we do because we need to have some way of protecting ourselves. Our uncle is a patient man but we do not want to get on his bad side."

Tyene sighed. "Alright, I suppose you have a point."

"I know I do. Now come on we should – "

"Are you two finished or what?"

Aliandra cut off in mid-sentence to see Nym headed toward her with Obara on her heels. "You've been at this for hours."

"I'm seeking to educate our sister on the finer points of patience," Aliandra explained as she sheathed her blade. "She's been uncommonly hot headed lately."

"You say that as if it's something new," Obara muttered with a tiny smirk on her face. She was the quietest out of all of Oberyn's older daughters and was sometimes called Nym's shadow for how closely she followed her.

Tyene glared at her while Nymeria chuckled. "I tried to teach that to her yesterday, but I don't think she's been in the listening mood."

Aliandra raised an eyebrow. "When is Tyene ever in the listening mood?"

"Alright enough!" Tyene snapped. "Are we done for the day? The sun is scorching and I am in need of a swim."

"That's what we came to get you for," Nymeria explained. "The sun's grown hot enough that we may go to the ocean. Your mother said not to catch our death though."

"If we do, then I am sure she has some sort of tonic for that," Aliandra said rolling her eyes.

Ellaria Sand was a famous poisoner and her skills were sometimes sought after far and wide. Tyene liked to coat her short twin daggers in her mother's poison as an added advantage should she ever come across a foe that was out of her reach.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Nym demanded. "I'm hot and I'm tired and I want to cool off."

She took off running for the water with Obara hot on her heels and Tyene struggling to catch up.

Aliandra stayed back and took a moment to look them over. _I went from having one sister in my first life to having three in this one. As bizarre as it is…..I'd do anything to keep them and if that means getting my hands dirty…..well then so be it._

Ω

The sun was hot as Aliandra, Obara, Nymeria and Tyene indulged in an afternoon at the seaside. Training with their father had been completed for the day and as all four of Oberyn's daughters were hot and rather tired, swimming had been a very welcome alternative to the heat of the day.

Being the eldest at sixteen, Aliandra was tasked with keeping an eye on her younger sisters, all of whom were varying ages.

Over the last decade of them being raised together, each of the sisters had shown a proficiency in different forms of weaponry and training.

Their stories were all rather different however and one of the many things the sisters did not speak of, even to each other were the mothers that they had left behind.

Aliandra remembered when her father had brought Obara to the royal court of Sunspear and asked her to choose between living with himself and living with her mother who had been a commoner at the time who had caught Oberyn's eye.

Obara had chosen Oberyn and had privately expressed to Aliandra later when they had grown closer that it was because she knew she would never see her mother again.

Sure enough, she had died several years later.

Next to Aliandra, Obara was the most serious and taciturn of Oberyn's daughters and the two were like a pair of matched blades when it came to fierceness. The only problem with this however was that Obara was often irrational and ruled by her emotions some of which Aliandra and her father had to rein in.

Obara's choice of weapon was a Dornish spear that their father had trained her extensively in and often used it to great effect.

Nymeria was a bit different, and Aliandra still recalled when her father brought her home with him from the east. She was the daughter of an eastern noblewoman and was rational and calculating just like her eldest sister and her father. Her favored choice of weapon that her father had taught her to use was the twelve foot bull whip. Nymeria and Aliandra often liked to speak on strategy given the weapons they liked to use. While Obara would mostly charge into a situation without pausing to think it through, the two sisters liked to analyze a situation and learn how best to counter bad circumstances.

Besides Oberyn, Nymeria was the only one Obara really listened to. All of the sisters deferred to Aliandra as she was the oldest and had been trained the longest by

Oberyn, but there were times when Nymeria was the only one Obara would refrain from doing something for, though there were times when she would disagree sharply with her sister.

And Tyene?

Well she was the most impetuous of the four sisters and liked to try and prove that she was as good as the others. Unfortunately, she was also the most hot tempered and this meant that she liked to make threats. She preferred short daggers for quick attacks which she was able to swiftly draw upon before Nymeria or Aliandra could restrain her. Like her mother, she also preferred the use of poison as well and would often like her sister, coat the blades of her daggers in poison.

All in all, their many personalities presented a cacophony of difficulties for the many royal residents in the Water Gardens.

Doran loved all of his nieces but there were times when Oberyn was away traveling that he would depend on Aliandra to do her best and restrain the Sand Snakes.

He claimed that it was because she was the most responsible of the four older ones, but secretly he did favor Aliandra a little.

Despite their wildly different appearances, all of the Sand Snakes save Aliandra had inherited their father's eyes.

No one really knew where his eldest daughter had received her golden orbs from but it was a matter of speculation.

When they were younger, Aliandra had heard a rumor from among the palace servants that it was because Aliandra's real mother was a goddess and not Ellaria's daughter at all. Golden eyes weren't all that common throughout Dorne and while Ellaria's irises had been known to flash almost a golden hue when she was angry, that was as far as the similarity went.

And as a result of this and her magic, Aliandra stood out from the rest of her sisters. Of all of them however, she was also the most serious and rarely smiled. When she did however, her mother often told her it was like sunshine.

Her cousin Arianne however would say that it was because Aliandra was fashioned from a statue and when someone didn't talk to her often enough, she would return to her original form. It was a joke that often made the eldest Sand daughter laugh.

Having had enough of swimming, she sat on the shore, watching her sister splash around in the water.

There were times when Aliandra liked to sit alone and think of her new life in comparison to her old one. She was still surprised at times that her attempts at reincarnation had worked and she was living as a bastard daughter in a land far different from the one she had left.

Padma Patil was a distant memory now as she had lived as Aliandra as long as she had her other personality. She still had her magic but that was all that was the same.

She knew she was reaching marriageable age but as a bastard daughter of one of the princes of Dorne, she didn't really have many options when it came to an agreeable match. There were times when she thought she might want to travel with her father when she was older and then there were times when she wanted to stay right in Sunspear where she had been raised.

But for the moment, traveling as she was might have been a little dangerous.

Since the rebellion years earlier, Dorne had withdrawn from the rest of Westeros because of actions performed by the Lannisters in the war.

"You look lost in thought."

Aliandra looked up and smirked when her cousin Trystane plopped down next to her.

Aliandra smiled as she looked out to the ocean where her other three sisters were playing. "Just thinking I suppose."

Trystane smirked. "You're always thinking. You think more than you talk….that might land you in trouble one of these days."

"How pray tell?" Aliandra asked looking at her cousin. "You and Obara give Nymeria and I too much trouble because we like to analyze things instead of charging right into them like you and her and Tyene do. As far as I'm concerned, that is going to land you in trouble."

"You keep telling yourself that," Trystane smiled, not at all put out by his cousin's words. "If you think too much you're going to let life pass you by."

"Wise words cousin," Aliandra said stretching out on the Sand. "But life in Sunspear is as lazy as the waters that lap the shore…..what is there to miss out on?"

"What about this perhaps?"

Aliandra sat up and blinked with surprise when she saw that her cousin was holding out a piece of paper to her. "What is this?"

"A note from father, he asked that you come to his solar right away. "He said you would know what it was about."

A feeling like ice slid up and down her back and she swallowed hard. "I do."

Trystane eyed her with a frown on his face. "It's not bad is it?"

Aliandra got to her feet and dusted the sand from her tunic before looking out over the water where her sisters were still playing. Even though the Dornish sun was as hot as ever, she suddenly felt cold.

This was it.

The moment their father had been preparing them for.

"No Trys," she said. "It's not bad….in fact its very….very good."

She didn't leave him anymore room to ask questions however and instead put her fingers to her lips and uttered a shrill whistle that echoed across the sands and jutted out over the waves.

All three of her sisters looked up at her and the look on her face must have been serious for they immediately stopped splashing each other and hurriedly waded out of the water.

"What is it?" Obara asked in that calm tone of hers.

"Uncle Doran wants to see us Nym," Aliandra said locking eyes with her calculating younger sister.

The other girl's eyes narrowed and she nodded shortly. "Well what are we waiting for?"

The two girls bid their cousin and other sister's farewell, all of whom knew that this was important but not what it was and strode across the sands back to the palace.

"Are you ready?" her younger sister asked.

"Ready for revenge?" Aliandra asked grimly. "Always."

Ω

"Do you understand then?" Doran Martell asked.

"We do," Aliandra said. "We will board a ship in Planky Town and take it to King's Landing. From there we will meet with another Dornish bastard who has connections inside the Red Keep. Nym and I will then don serving gowns just as the other handmaidens do and try and get as close as possible to Queen Cersei. If necessary, use magic."

"It'll be necessary," Nym muttered as they stood in the solar but Aliandra ignored her.

"Good. I wish to know everything that happens in that palace," Doran said in a grim voice. "Now that Jon Arryn is dead, circumstances are up in the air. We need to know where the ground is first before we move. Are we understood?"

"Yes Uncle," both girls chorused.

"Good," Doran Martell said raising his goblet of wine to his lips. "If you sense there is a weakness anywhere, exploit it. And be certain you report to me on the goings on of the court whenever possible. Revenge may be slow, but I can promise the both of you….it will be sweet."

Ω

 **So here we go! Instead of Aliandra and Arianne going to the capital for a wedding like in the last version, Ali and Nym will be heading to the Red Keep disguised as hand maidens to get close to Cersei Lannister. Which also means they will be going north with the royal party to Winterfell however...where a certain white wolf will be waiting. *Giggles madly* Anyway this means that Aliandra and Jon will be meeting that much sooner and the story will hopefully be more interesting than the last version. Don't forget to review and enjoy everyone!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The stink reached them far before the sight of land did.

Aliandra knew they were close because of the way her sister's eyes narrowed, her nose wrinkled and her lower lip curled in disgust.

The two of them had been standing at the prow of the ship talking quietly when the sensation had hit them causing a halt in conversation and a sense of appalled disbelief to come over the pair.

Nymeria muttered a curse under her breath and Aliandra cleared her throat. The stench wasn't so powerful that her eyes were watering but if it kept up she wasn't certain that they wouldn't before they docked in the harbor.

And she hadn't even seen the place yet.

"Of all the things father prepared us for, this wasn't one of them," her younger sister muttered under her breath and the taller brunette cleared her throat.

"Perhaps he didn't think we would believe him."

"I know I wouldn't," Nym said in disgust. "Gods, how do the people of this city breathe every day?"

"They must have gotten used to it," Aliandra noted sagely. "After all its not as if the small folk have the means to do something about it and if the nobles smell it at all, it's a passing fancy before being replaced by the fragrance of exotic fruits and flowers."

"If Sunspear ever smelled like that – "

"Sunspear would never smell like that, the small folk would be up in arms and there is not a chance in the Seven Hells that the Lord of the Sandship would ever let it reach that point."

They were careful not to use informal terms when discussing their uncle in case someone was listening.

After all there were spies and eyes and ears everywhere.

The pair had taken on disguises so as to cement their anonymity before ever leaving Dorne.

Nymeria had taken on the role of a maester in training, donning the story of riding for Oldtown once she reached the capital to study at the citadel, whereas Aliandra had decided that she would play the part of a septa on her way to the Great Sept of Baelor.

Both were wearing long tunics with breeches and tall boots underneath and both had their heads covered. Thankfully the tunics were long enough and thick enough to conceal weapons of which they had brought plenty.

Nym had two small daggers about the length of her hands strapped to both thighs that were concealed beneath her tunic and Aliandra had small circular steel disks hidden in her boots which could be drawn and thrown at will.

Her mother had ensured she was wearing the necklace she had been given since birth which contained a small vial of deadly poison.

Aliandra had wanted to roll her eyes when Ellaria had thrust it into her hand but she had taken it anyway.

She didn't know when it would be necessary to use such a thing as poison in her silent opinion was a cowardly way to kill someone.

When she had pointed out this to her mother a few years earlier, Ellaria had only uttered a dark little laugh and said that whether it was cowardly or not, dead was still dead.

She was correct in that regard.

"I can't even see the city yet," Nym said squinting slightly as they looked out over the waves. "Can you?"

"Not yet," Aliandra replied. "But the fact that we can smell it before we see it is never a good sign."

Nym snorted and then both fell silent for a moment as they looked out over the prow of the ship.

Though it had only been a two week journey by boat, Aliandra was eager to be off and onto firm ground again. Some might have liked ships but she wasn't one of them.

Nym hadn't minded however, she loved boats and had chafed at the idea of taking a pair of horses and riding them all the way to the capital.

Riding was something Aliandra liked. It wasn't as good as flying on a broom, something she had done extensively when she had been in England but it did have ways reminiscent of soaring.

She was beginning to feel anticipation building. Her father had been asking her uncle for years now to go to the capital to begin to seek out the weaknesses of the Lannisters for possible ways they could bring them down.

Naturally Aliandra had suggested she just go there and execute them all but Doran had said he wanted to publically bring down the lions in the most humiliating way possible and he wished for Tywin Lannister to see the entire empire he had attempted to build crumble around him and all of his family crushed before he would then be executed.

A rather diabolical plan if she did say so herself.

But Aliandra did see the logic in a plan of revenge that went step by step.

A sudden strong scent wafted by her just then and she visibly cringed. A moment later she smirked at Nym as they had both made the expression in tandem.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked.

Nymeria gave her an easy smile. "Between the two of us, I'm more excited for the intrigue that is to come than the plan. Tywin Lannister rules his family with a rod of iron and they give every appearance of being completely perfect. But no family is that perfect. I think I'm more anxious to uncover whatever dirty secrets they may have and air them like so much washing in the sun."

Aliandra snorted before looking out once more to the horizon. "Well here comes our chance. I think I see the city in the distance."

Sure enough, emerging out onto the horizon was the thin black and tan blurry shape of a city.  
Aliandra saw several tall spires which she was certain belonged to the Red Keep as it was on the coast of the city.

To the south of the citadel she became aware of a cluster of buildings crowded on the water's edge which she assumed to be Flea Bottom.

Over the course of the next hour the city became more and more visible until both girls were able to make out certain features and distinctions.

They had stopped speaking a long time ago as they didn't want anyone on the ship to become aware of the fact that they knew each other.

In fact both had boarded the ship separately so as to give the appearance of simple going their own ways.

However one conversation at the prow of the vessel would not be enough to draw the attention of anyone.

Even still though, they had restricted their conversation to grunts, raised eyebrows and snorts since the city had come in sight.

As she neared her assignment, Aliandra thought back on the information she had been given by her father.

They would be meeting with a fellow Dornish bastard in the Street of Steel by the name of Drayden. Not much was known about him other than the fact that his father had been a Dayne, a cousin of Ser Arthur apparently. However his sire had hailed from High Hermitage, not Starfall and he had been in the capital for most of his life.

The man was said to have a talent for blending in and not being seen so both girls knew they were going to have to look carefully if they wished to see him.

His distinctive feature would be his violet eyes which both girls knew to be on the lookout for in the back of their minds.

Granted they couldn't just trust any man with violet eyes who happened to look at them the right way so detailed instructions had been imparted to them by their father through word of mouth.

There was an inn on the edge of the Street of Steel where they would go to one of the upper rooms, the far left one to be precise where they would find it unlocked and where the very man they were supposed to meet would be waiting.

Oberyn hadn't told them much about why Drayden Sand was employed by them specifically other than his chameleon type talents but Aliandra had a feeling it had to do with money.

It always came down to coin after all.

The wind blew in their direction then and Nym cursed before wrapping a section of the head covering she was wearing over her nose.

"You'll get used to it before long," Aliandra said to her amiably, trying to keep her own grimace in check.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Nymeria muttered. "I now understand why they call the bay Blackwater. There's no proper drainage anywhere in this city."

"That surprises you?"

"Not really, but was the city always that way?"

"I'm not sure," Aliandra mused. "When Tywin Lannister was running the realm under Aerys, this may not have been something that was a problem, but then I wasn't alive during that time so I would not know."

If it were possible, the look of disgust on Nym's face increased tenfold. "You don't suppose he'll be here will you?"

"I doubt it," Aliandra muttered back. "The last I was told he hadn't left the Westerlands in the last few years."

"Its just as well I suppose," Nymeria said under her breath after darting her eyes around so that no one will be able to hear them. "The man is brilliant and the less we have to deal with him the better."

"Aye."

Not much more was said as the ship continued to draw nearer to the harbor and in fact Aliandra took a few steps away from her sister as they neared so she might give off the appearance of being a random traveler not affiliated with anyone else on the ship.

The harbor of King's Landing was a bustling place with dozens of ships going to and fro. Sailors called out to each other from the rigging of their different ships and captains barked orders to their men up and down the strait.

The waves were also much calmer and the rocking of the boat had lessened as the ship drew close to docking.

A gangplank was lowered and Aliandra caught Nymeria's eye and raised one of her eyebrows.

Her sister quirked a look back at her as if making a confirmation and then Aliandra turned away.

They had discussed a plan amongst themselves on the journey for when they had gotten to the capital.

Seeing as how their building was in the Street of Steel which was closer to the center of the city, they had planned to split up so that they might take in the sights for their uncle. They wouldn't be able to see everything at once but knowing every inch of the city would be crucial for when the time came for their plans to be put fully into effect.  
That wouldn't be for some time as yet for the Targaryens were still in Essos and they needed to gather their full strength in order to make a return.

But at the moment that was neither here nor there.

Right now they had been given the task of preparing the way.

As soon as the gangplank touched down upon the dock, Nymeria strode down it and made her way towards the harbor and the city beyond.

Aliandra waited for a moment until her sister had disappeared among the crowds before she followed.

She didn't expect to see the other girl for another half an hour at least so she knew she had time.

For the moment she wanted to take a closer look at the Red Keep so that when the time came, they wouldn't be hindered by any sort of defenses as well as to know that there were no hidden nooks and crannies.

The streets were packed and in many ways reminded Aliandra of Diagon Alley. The long robes and head coverings also reminded her of home and for a moment she felt a lump in her throat again, remembering a simpler and sweeter time when she would skip down the streets of the Alley hand in hand with her sister with their parents behind them.

They had been so utterly close before Hogwarts and their being Sorted into different houses had driven a wedge between them. They had made different friends and the things they liked began to polarize them.

Parvati had begun to become interested in magazines and boys and makeup whilst Padma had made it her mission in life to receive top grades and be the best in her class. She had been in direct competition with Hermione Granger for most of her time at school and both girls had a friendly rivalry going.

Parvati however would never be found in the library and spent most of her time with Lavender Brown where they had mooned over Ron Weasley in their later years.

Padma still cringed when she remembered the obnoxious red head. She knew he had only asked her to the Yule Ball because Harry Potter had asked her sister and they were running out of time.

If it was up to her she would have spent the evening quietly in Ravenclaw with a good book before a roaring fire.

But no she had been forced to put on her best golden sari and walk arm in arm with a red head who had no idea how to dance or treat a lady and instead had spent his time grumbling over the fact that his bushy haired best friend had chosen to spend her evening with "the enemy."

The enemy in this case had been Viktor Krum who Padma hadn't thought was so bad. He seemed to be more than what the girls were making him out to be and she had silent applauded him for breaking the rules and taking someone like Granger to the Yule Ball, someone no one would have expected for him to date.

And good for Granger too for showing the whole school that smart girls were attractive and appealing.

It made the fact that she had ended up with Ron Weasley even for one night all the more galling.

Maybe it was after that night that Padma had sworn off men and devoted all of her time to her studies.

In Westeros however there was to be no shortage of men.

Bastards weren't restricted in the same way that the trueborn in Westeros were however. As much as there was stigmatization attached to the title, there were no societal constraints either. Aliandra and her sisters could go wherever they wanted and do whatever they wanted and society would pay them no attention.

Which was why Ali was very glad that Doran had chosen her and Nym to go to the capital and spy on the Lannisters instead of her father.

For one thing, as much as she loved her father he was a hot head and a bloody Gryffindor who would draw no end of attention to himself.

His preferences marked him far and wide as a man to be admired, feared and distrusted. And Aliandra had a feeling that her uncle didn't trust her father not to do something foolish if he were here.

So he had sent them instead.

Upon seeing the red keep in the distance, Aliandra ducked down a side alley and pulled her covering more firmly over her head and then muttered under her breath the spell that would render her unnoticeable by others.

Once that was complete, she hurried down the side alleys of the streets, avoiding all of the gates and those coming in them towards the dark red brick palace in the distance.

It was an imposing looking structure and while Hogwarts had been majestic and welcoming and inspired a sense of awe, this place looked foreboding and cold.

But she wouldn't have expected it to be anything less seeing as how it was the place where her aunt and two cousins were killed.

Aliandra clenched her hands into fists for a moment before shaking them out and calming herself. There would be a time for anger later.

When she had come to the edge of the alley on the street that bordered the keep itself, Aliandra drew back amongst the shadows and made certain she only remained there for a few moments.

She muttered the words for the disillusionment charm so she could focus on the walls of the keep.

She wouldn't stay there for too long given that she was supposed to meet Nym and the man Drayden Sand all too soon.

But if she was going to spend the next part of her life in this place she at least wanted to know what she could expect.

After taking in the high red brick walls and imposing gates guarding the place, Aliandra nodded sharply to herself before turning away and hurrying back down the alley back into the busy streets.

Some of the guards marching atop the walls looked like they would try to give her a fight and still others looked as if they couldn't be bothered to raise their weapons.

It was going to be fun taking them down if need be.

She emerged back into the Street of Steel a few moments later and mingled with the ground again, just another traveler passing through that stinking cesspit of a city.

The brunette wrinkled her nose slightly and brought a piece of her head covering down to shield her mouth and nose from the stench.

If this was what the city smell like away from Flea Bottom than she had no desire to actually see the place.

For an instant, she felt homesick for Dorne and contemplated apparating back to the Water Gardens just so she might stand on the beach and smell the fresh air.

A moment later she squashed that thought. She had come here for a reason and until she and Nym had information for their Uncle, no one would be returning to Dorne.

This was important after all.

Bringing down the Empire's most powerful family from the throne and from power itself was a gargantuan task that would require time and careful planning.

And that would require patience.

Thankfully that was something she had had plenty of.

Their parents had often joked that Padma had received all the patience of Buddha and Parvati had the patience of a dog hounding its owner for a piece of meat.

This had made Padma laugh but her twin hadn't appreciated the metaphor and had flounced off in a huff.

The corners of her eyes stung slightly at the thought of her twin sister and she brushed her hand angrily across her face.

In that life she had only one sister, here she had many and she had a responsibility to look after them, which was why she needed to stop dawdling and join up with Nymeria!

With that in mind, the brunette quickened her pace down the streets, weaving in and around shoppers and merchants with the same ease with which she had traversed the markets of Sunspear.

It was hot and before long with the sun bearing down on her in all the layers she was wearing, perspiration began to form on her brow and under her arms.

The moment she entered the Street of Steel the air rang by with the sound of mallets pounding against metal and the sounds of men shouting.

Instantly she smiled for it reminded her of the Blacksmith district in Sunspear and being around weapons was certainly nicer than being around flattering cloth, spice and perfume merchants from Essos.

She kept to the sides of the streets, keeping her eyes peeled against the buildings until she had traversed the whole place and had come in sight of an inn on the opposite side of the road with a swinging wooden banner above its door.

 _The Laughing Lion,_ she thought to herself feeling her lower lip curl ever so slightly. _Looks like a place of ne'er do wells and thieves._

But it fit the description her father had given her and so she looked quickly to both sides of the street before crossing it and darting inside.

Thankfully it was still midday so the place wasn't full of drunkards yet but it would be before long.

Spotting a familiar figure sitting by the cold fire grate in the corner, Aliandra quietly stole up to it and sat down in the chair opposite.

The familiar eyes of Nymeria looked out at her from underneath her head covering and she exchanged a small smile with her sister.

"Is he here?" Aliandra asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I haven't checked," Nymeria replied. "There aren't a lot of people here and if I were to make for the stairs it might draw attention to myself."

Aliandra stole a look at the somewhat grizzled looking man sitting behind the counter of the inn polishing a glass with an extremely dirty rag. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked as if he had been suffering from a bad hangover.

His hair was thin and greasy and there were spots of grey at his temples where it used to be a mousy looking brown. The apron he was wearing was dirtier than the cloth he was using to wipe the glass and Aliandra snorted before raising an eyebrow at her sister. "Right now I think that glass has most of his attention."

Nymeria grinned. "So I thought but it wouldn't hurt for a little magic to render him unable to see anything."

Aliandra nodded before muttering the disillusionment charm under her breath. A moment later she nodded and stood. "Right then. Shall we?"

They made for the stairs as silently as they were able and tip toed up them on the tops of their feet so that no squeaks would be left behind in their wake.

Once in the long hallway lined with doors leading to the various rooms of the inn, Aliandra tapped her sister's shoulder and gestured to the left side of the hallway and the door that was the farthest down.

Upon reaching it, Nymeria reached for the doorknob before looking at her sister and nodding. Aliandra pulled one of the throwing knives from her belt and held it close to her chest before nodding back.

Nymeria then threw open the door and both dashed in, the older brunette's eyes darting about the space to see if there was someone in there.

Her eyes were rewarded for the dark form of a man was sitting in the corner and she raised the blade of the knife.

Nymeria had quickly shut the door and for a moment silence reigned in the room. Aliandra's eyes narrowed as she took in the form of the hooded man sitting across the room on the only footstool in it.

She couldn't quite make out his face but she could tell that there were a pair of purple eyes staring at her out from under the brim of his hood.

"Drayden Sand I presume?" she asked in a questioning voice.

There was a moment of silence before the man pulled down the hood of his cloak and she was confronted with a pair of shockingly purple eyes beneath a mop of black curls. His skin was an olive tone as many of the Dornish were known for and when he gave them a small smile a set of shockingly white teeth appeared to lend credence to this rather attractive picture.

From the small smirk on Nymeria's face Aliandra could tell she was impressed. In turn the older girl just rolled her eyes.

He looked the both of them over for a moment saying nothing and Aliandra had a feeling she was being assessed for something far different from her looks.

When most men looked her up and down, their gazes went beyond appreciative but when this man studied her, she felt he was assessing a possible threat.

Good, that meant he wasn't stupid.

Finally he turned to him. "You resemble him quite a bit."

She caught on quickly. "I've been told I have his eyes."

He nodded. "You do. I've only seen Oberyn Martell from a distance yet you have his eyes and his face. You must not take after your mother much."

Nymeria shrugged. "Seeing as how I've never met her, I wouldn't know."

And then Drayden turned to Aliandra. "You on the other hand look nothing like him. The only thing you share is your skin tone and hair color. I don't know where you got those eyes but they make you stand out. No Dornish man or woman I have ever seen has golden eyes like that and given that your mother is Ellaria Sand, I know you didn't inherit those irises from her either."

Aliandra raised an eyebrow. "And what does that tell you?"

He appeared somewhat impressed and curious with her answer. So he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "It tells me that you will never be mistaken for being Oberyn Martell's daughter. Which means you can blend into any environment you wish. Your identity in a place like King's Landing is more precious than gold and if people don't know who you are, than they don't know what you want."

Aliandra raised her other eyebrow, filing that piece of information away into her brain but then snapping back to business. "Good to know. But right now we have a task to complete. You're supposed to smuggle the both of us into the Red Keep."

"Indeed," he said getting to his feet. "And seeing as how I've already been waiting almost an hour for you, shall we get on with it?"

Ω

Drayden Sand did indeed know his way around a city.

After their brief and strange meeting at the top floor of the inn, he led both Sands to the backdoor of warehouse a few streets away where they slipped inside.

Aliandra didn't know why it was unlocked when just anyone could come in, but she had a feeling that perhaps only during the day it was unlocked.

No matter, it wasn't her concern.

Drayden led her and Nymeria to a door in one of the back storage room that stunk of old fruit and damp wood and then removed a key from his belt before fitting it into the old rusty lock.

"Where did you get those?" Nym asked.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I've been living in this city for the past ten years girl. You're going to have to have a few tricks in order to get around."

The door made a horrible creaking noise as it was wrenched open but all three quickly ducked inside and Drayden closed the door before anyone could hear it and come running.

The passage they were in was dark, dank and winding and they could barely see their hands in front of their faces. Fortunately the path was smooth so they didn't trip and they walked in complete silence for about twenty minutes until Drayden called out in a quiet voice for them to stop.

"Have we reached our destination?" Nym asked.

"Aye, wait here. I am going in and will be back in a few moments. I assume you're going to need some servants clothes."

"We will," Aliandra replied.

"Well then wait here."

Just then a square of light in the passage ahead of them appeared and the slender form of Drayden darted through it before it closed and they were left in utter darkness again.

"Do you think we can trust him?" Nymeria asked after a long silence.

"As long as he's paid," Aliandra muttered. "Coin talks. I can't think of a reason he would be doing this on his own as some sick fetish. If Uncle wasn't paying him for information no doubt someone else would."

"Good point."

Another long silence passed.

"What do you think they'll be like?" Nymeria asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"The Lannisters and the king. What do you think they'll be like?"

Aliandra snorted. "Does it really matter? Father made us memorize the names and faces of every individual of House Lannister and not even a quarter of them will be here. Just the important ones that is."

"I suppose," Nymeria said. "Maybe I'm just curious."

"Curious about what?"

"About who we'll be dealing with. Father always says the best way to crush someone is to know them first. Aside from their names and faces, we've never met the Lannisters. Wouldn't knowing their daily habits be important?"

"Well that's what we're here to do."

Another long moment passed where nothing was said.

"I'm rather curious about what the royal children are like," Aliandra admitted. "We've received next to no information about them. You don't think they're included in Father's and Uncle's plans do you?"

"I don't know," Nymeria muttered. "But in Dorne we don't kill children so I don't think so. The Lannisters never gave Aunt Elia or Aegon and Rhaenys that courtesy."

There was heat in her tone and Aliandra reached out in the dark and laid a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "All in good time Nym. We will have our vengeance. Tywin Lannister will live long enough to see his empire crumble to dust around him and all of his future plans dead before he dies himself. And when it happens, I want him to suffer the same amount of pain that Aunt Elia and our cousins suffered."

Nymeria smiled at her and it flashed white in the darkness of the tunnel.

A moment later there was the sound of the door opening and the square of light appeared ahead of them with a figure in it, indicating that Drayden had returned.

"Put these on," he said striding up to them and trusting a series of garments into their hands. "The passage through here leads in the godswood in the gardens. No one is currently in the gardens when I went out but that circumstance may change any moment. When you put those on you will become unnoticeable, the amount of servants in this keep is appalling and it is highly unlikely that you would be seen as out of place."

"Well even if we were, we have our own methods for dealing with that," Aliandra muttered.  
Even though she couldn't see it in the dark, she was sure that Nym was smirking.

"I'm sure you do," Drayden said dryly. "Any progeny of Oberyn Martell's would have to have some tricks up their sleeves."

He didn't bother to elaborate and the girls didn't ask him to.

"I will take my leave then," he said. "Good luck to you."

"And you," they chorused. A moment later they heard his footsteps striding away, growing fainter and fainter.

After they had shed their clothes and donned the garments of servants that Aliandra seized both of their old disguises and set them quickly ablaze with magic.

 _"_ _Incendio."_

Immediately a spark leapt upon the pile of clothes and began to devour the fabric with the same hungry vengeance that a wild dog feeds upon an unfortunate doe.

Aliandra glanced over the flames at her sister as both stood watching the clothes burn. "Are you ready? Its one thing to say it when we're still in Dorne but an entirely different thing when we're about to walk into a den of lions."

Nym laughed. "Ali I've been biting at the bit to do something like this since Uncle Doran began hinting that he may have tasks for us to complete when we grew older. The time has come for Dorne to rise from anonymity. We're unbroken and now its time for the rest of the realm to know it."

"Indeed, now I don't know about you but I really want to get out of this dank and musty tunnel. Shall we get on with this?"

Nymeria nodded in the affirmative and then Aliandra reached for the door handle, allowing both sister to step forwards into the sunlight.

Ω

 _Two weeks later…_

Aliandra carefully set the goblet of wine on the table in front of the king in the small council chambers and deftly avoided his groping hand.

In the few weeks that she and her sister had been in the capital she had become all too accustomed to hearing other stories from the servants about his wander hands and lustful glances.

Frankly she was disgusted…appalled and disgusted.

When necessary sex could be a tool but for the king….well she wasn't certain what it was. If his tastes were this advanced however she had no doubt that he had numerous bastards running about the city.

When she and Nym had first seen him from a distance they had been shocked as it went against everything they had been told about the so called Demon the Trident who had crushed Rhaegar Targaryen.

This man was no doubt large, but his stomach was the subject of his girth and not his muscles. His jowls sagged from his face, his black hair was greying about his temples and there was a tiredness in his deep blue eyes that was curious to Aliandra.

It appeared that wearing the crown had been as draining for Robert Baratheon as it had been for Aerys Targaryen. But while it had made Aerys mad, the king ruling the realm now looked, well….sad.

There was no light in his eyes as he strode about the keep with his guards following him and Aliandra had stayed to the shadows as she watched him.

Of course she couldn't' find any grace in her heart for him as this was the man who had laughed at the bodies of her aunt and cousins but he was interesting to watch.

So far, she and Nym hadn't spent a lot of time with the queen but upon seeing the woman, Aliandra knew she would be taxing for anyone to spend time with.

All of the servants were afraid of her as her temper and tongue could reduce someone to shreds.

Aliandra was the only one who wasn't but lately all she had done was refill the queen's wine goblet, make her bed when she wasn't there and once she had styled the woman's hair when Cersei had demanded someone else do it other than the useless previous servant.

She didn't know if that gained her points with the queen but she was hoping to use that as a sort of opening.

In the meantime she topped up everyone's wine glass and then darted from the room, looking both ways to make sure she was alone and then disillusioned herself and slipped back in.

"How go the preparations for the journey north?" the king barked.

"All is going as planned your grace," Lord Varys said in that simpering tone of his. "You and the queen and the royal children will take a ship to White Harbor where a wheelhouse and horses will then take your party the rest of the way."

"Excellent," the king muttered. "Gods know these plans have been hampered by bloody Stannis' departure."

That was something else that she and Nym had discovered during their stay. Apparently the king's brother had departed from the keep shortly following the funeral of Jon Arryn to return to Dragonstone. He had resigned his post as Master of Ships as well, leaving them somewhat in the lurch with an ability to make plans for this trip.

Hence the King's disagreeable temper.

"All plans should be completed within a fortnight your grace and your departure may occur directly after that."

"Good," the king baked again. "I'm eager to get on the road once more. And I had been thinking about this for some time, but I have a marriage alliance with the Starks to plan."

"Your grace?" The Master of Whispers asked looking surprised.

"You heard me Varys," Robert snapped at him. "I mean to betroth my son to Ned Stark's eldest daughter. Its time the north was more highly connected."

Aliandra raised an eyebrow. Now _that_ was interesting.

Ever since the death of Jon Arryn, the king had been making plans to go north and ask its Warden Eddard Stark to be his Hand but both she and Nym hadn't learned anything about it until they had arrived in the capital.

And now a betrothal?

She quickly looked around again and released the spell on herself, deciding to head for the godswood where she would meet with her sister before long.

No one went in there so it was the perfect place to meet and discuss what they had learned over the course of the day.

This would also be something they would no doubt need to report to Doran.

But just as she entered the gardens and carried on down the path towards the grove of trees, the sound of whimpers suddenly stopped her.

It was an overcast day and unseasonably cool for the south and the clouds were puffy promising rain which meant that soon there would be no one in the gardens.

All the better for them.

But just now it appeared as if there was someone there, and it sounded as if there was trouble.

"Look what you did!" a child's voice screamed. "Why would you do it?!"

Aliandra paused next to one of the taller shrubs just outside the moonlight garden and narrowed her eyes. That voice sounded suspiciously familiar.

"Because I could," an older voice snapped back. "I'm going to be king someday and a king can do as he likes!"

Aliandra cringed at the grating tone of Prince Joffrey who was by far her least favorite person in the keep. She would rather braid Cersei Lannister's hair all day whilst standing on a bed of hot coals than spend ten seconds in the presence of the crown prince.

However she wasn't the only one who hated him with a passion. All of the other servants avoided him like the plague and Oberyn's eldest bastard daughter couldn't blame them.

"I'm telling mother!" Prince Tommen screamed.

"Go right ahead," Joffrey replied sounding smug. "Like she'd ever believe you. But just so you don't get any ideas, if you squeal, another one of your cats is going to go missing."

That was it.

Aliandra stepped out from behind the shrubs and came face to face with both princes in the middle of the small garden near one of the benches.

The picture that was between them was singularly grotesque. Prince Tommen was on his knees whilst Prince Joffrey was standing up and in between them was the body of a cat.

Well, at least it was what was left of a cat. The poor creature had been skinned in places and one ear and one eye was missing. Half of its tail was gone and there was blood on the stones under it. Near it was a bloodied knife.

And then Aliandra knew what had happened.

One of the other servants, a girl by the name of Alys had whispered to her that Prince Joffrey had many strange habits and that his younger siblings were afraid of him.

Now she understood why.

Upon seeing the tears of the youngest prince and the utter shock and horror on her face, Aliandra felt a sliver of compassion come upon her.

She cleared her throat, "My prince?"

Joffrey looked up fast, a sneer on his mean little face when he say her. "What do you want?"

"The queen asked me to find you my prince, she said she wishes to speak to you about the trip you will soon be taking," Aliandra said calmly.

It wasn't a complete falsehood, she had heard something from one of the other servants about needing to speak to her son.

Joffrey eyed her. "She did?"

"Yes."

Then he really looked at her. "I don't think I've seen you around here before. What's your name?"

"Meria my prince," she said using the name of her father's late mother. It was a fairly common name in Dorne.

Joffrey's eyes darkened as he looked her up and down the way a dog would size up a bone. "Well…it seems as if the help around here as certainly gone up."

Aliandra smiled though it felt more like rictus and then curtsied. "She wished to see you right away."

Joffrey waved a hand dismissively. "She can wait a few minutes more. I'm more interested in you."

Aliandra glanced around him at Tommen who was sobbing quietly over his cat and made a decision right then and there. "Actually she also asked me to escort prince Tommen to his riding lesson as well."

Quickly she stepped around Joffrey and helped the smaller boy to his feet. He was still wiping tears from his eyes but looked as if he were trying his best to be brave. "Come along my prince."

Before Joffrey could say anything else she took Tommen by the arm and guided him out of the gardens in the opposite direction and away from a sputtering Joffrey.

The moment they were out of sight down the garden path, the brunette drew Tommen into the shade of the nearby trees so they were out of sight and bent down and looked the youngest prince in the eye. "Are you alright my prince?"

Tommen shook his golden head miserably. "No….he…he killed him. He killed my kitty and he was about to skin him. And he said…he said I couldn't do anything about it because he was going to be king and kings could do what they liked."

"What was the name of your kitty?" Aliandra asked.

"Ser Pounce," Tommen said sniffling. "He liked to jump a lot."

Aliandra sighed, feeling confliction for a moment. She had reminded herself since she had arrived that she wasn't to get involved in the affairs of the capital and instead merely report what she saw to her uncle.

But with regards to the two younger royal children and their monstrous older brother….well…she did feel for them.

Which was what led her to make her next promise. "What if I were able to get you another kitty my prince?"

Tommen looked up at her, his green eyes still looked watery but there was something that looked suspiciously like hope there. "You could do that?"

Aliandra nodded with amusement. "I could. It might take a few days but I could."

In the next instant, her arms were full of the little blonde prince. "Thank you, oh thank you!"  
Aliandra stiffened for a moment and then tentatively hugged him back. "Its no trouble at all my prince. Now come, we should get to your riding lesson."

Tommen pulled back and frowned up at her. "But I had it this morning already."

Aliandra grinned down at him. "I know."

Tommen smiled up at her, realizing what she had done and the two moved off into the gardens. There was a slight spring in Tommen's step again though she knew he wouldn't get over the death of his beloved cat any time soon.

And as they walked, her eyes followed the shining head of the little blonde prince. _I have a feeling I'm going to have to keep an eye on him on the journey north. His brother might think to try something like that again._

Ω

 **Next up? The journey to Winterfell!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Aliandra didn't mention to her sister anything about the incident in the gardens over the course of the next week. It wasn't because she didn't think it was a prudent idea, but because she wasn't sure if it would relate to this complicated dance that they were playing.  
As it was, the two of them barely saw each other throughout the day to begin with which left Aliandra to her own thoughts about the capital and the Lannisters.

And speaking of the Lannisters, one of the first members of the lions she had seen that had been around for her aunt and cousins tragic demise was Jaime Lannister himself.

Oh did seeing him make her blood boil.

She had stood in the shadows of one of the hallways and watched him stride down the hall behind Robert Baratheon with an air of nonchalance and an arrogant smile on his handsome face. While he appeared perfectly at ease though there was something about the man that reminded Aliandra of a large cat waiting to pounce.

This was a man who was dangerous and the moment she recognized that and worked her way around it, the easier this was going to be.

He certainly was handsome, as golden as any lion of Casterly Rock, but Aliandra disliked him on principle right away.

It wasn't just because he had done nothing to save her aunt and cousins even though he had sworn a vow to House Targaryen, it was the manner in which he viewed everything in life. He didn't seem to take anything seriously, he thought himself above everyone else and Aliandra had a funny feeling he held a lot of disdain for the king he served.

The fact that he may have had the same amount of disdain for Aerys Targaryen was a telling thing.

Not that she would care if he killed Baratheon however, it would certainly make her job easier.

As she thought about it over the course of that week in the capital however, Aliandra couldn't really tell what it was about Jaime Lannister that made his disdain for the king so apparent.

Perhaps it was the way his eyes would flick back and forth when the king was acting particularly nasty.

Perhaps it was the smile he thought he kept hidden when the usurper passed him as if he were inwardly mocking him.

Or perhaps it was something else entirely.

Aliandra didn't really know and at the end of the day it didn't really matter whether or not Jaime Lannister liked Robert Baratheon.

Soon enough both of them would be dead and her aunt and cousins would finally be at peace.

And speaking of peace, there certainly didn't seem to be a lot of it in the Red Keep those days.

Baratheon was roaring about trying to make sure that everything was in place for his trip and when he wasn't doing that, his closest companion was a bottle of wine.

Where he kept managing to produce them all Aliandra didn't know but she could see that a drunk king was doing nothing for the realm and if this kept up, the realm was going to be in a terrible amount of trouble.

But at the moment that wasn't her problem.

The chaos the king was creating had a sort of ripple effect that was rubbing off on everyone in the keep, especially the queen.

She was another problem that Aliandra knew they were going to have to deal with in the future for numerous reasons.

If you had asked Aliandra Sand which Lannister she hated most before coming to the capital, she would likely have answered with Tywin Lannister as it had been on his orders that her aunt and cousins had been slaughtered.

But after her arrival and meeting the lion queen, Aliandra was beginning to think she might need to replace who was in the top position.

May the Seven and Merlin have mercy that woman was a trial.

It was plain to see by nearly everyone in the keep that Baratheon and the queen despised one another. The Lannister woman was quieter about it, but Aliandra could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him.

If the fact that they had separate chambers was enough of an indication of their coldness towards each other was not enough, never being seen together certainly was.

Aliandra wondered privately whenever she was around the queen if the reason she was so uptight was because she was not getting the sex she needed from her husband to unwind.

Sex could be an incredibly relaxing thing. All one had to do for evidence of that was look at Oberyn Martell.

Her father had a reputation for being the biggest sex fiend in the Seven Kingdoms but he was hardly ever without a smile on his face.

Aliandra wondered when was the last time that Cersei Lannister had ever smiled and meant it.

 _She's more tightly coiled than a spring,_ the eldest bastard daughter thought to herself over the course of that week. _She needs a good tumble soon or she's going to snap or worse, explode. Either way that is not going to be pretty._

Unfortunately for her, Aliandra had been chosen from among the servants to be one of the queen's handmaidens along with another girl named Alys. She had been the one to tell the Dornish bastard about the eldest prince's disturbing habits and Aliandra appreciated the information.

It seemed that there were many secrets circulating throughout the keep about the temperament of the crown prince.

Many servants feared what would happen when he became king. Aliandra had heard whispered mutters of Aerys Targaryen come again and privately she agreed.

In fact she had expressed something similar to Nym in the first few days of their arrival to the keep.

 _"_ _Father told us stories about Aerys Targaryen during Aunt Elia's wedding ceremony,"_ Nym had whispered to her as they stood in a secluded balcony after night had fallen and they had been relieved of their duties. _"_ _He said he was the sickliest man he had ever seen. But it was his eyes that stuck out. Do you remember what he said about them?"  
_

 _"Aye, like they were the eyes of a devil possessing that of a human,"_ Aliandra had replied grimly. _"He said there was an unnatural and disturbing light in them almost as if he were seeing things that the rest of the court couldn't."_

 _"_ _He probably was,"_ Nym had responded. _"The gods only know what went on in that man's head. He was the one who imagined plots and intrigues everywhere he looked. I wouldn't be surprised if he saw demons and monsters in the court as well….the objects of his imagination becoming real to him."_

 _"Said demons will be very real to him now where he is,"_ Aliandra replied. _"He'll see plenty of them in the seven hells."_

But the more Aliandra observed of Joffrey, the more she saw some key differences between him and what she had been told about Aerys.

The first was that Joffrey was obviously a very spoiled prince. He had grown up being part Lannister and therefore with the belief that he was entitled to anything and everything that he wanted.

Secondly, his father neglected him which made room for his mother to step in and whisper all sorts of poisonous things in that ear of his.

It was as if Robert Baratheon was completely oblivious to the reality that he had children and Aliandra had never seen him acknowledge them, even though it was obvious that they were starved for his attention.

It was almost sad in a way. Baratheon plainly disliked being a king and must have been that way since he had taken the damn throne but his pride wouldn't let him abdicate.

Aliandra may have hated the man for what had happened to her aunt and the response to the death of her cousins, but she was also still a human and capable of seeing the trials of others.

And Robert Baratheon was surrounded by them.

That being said, his trials had extended to his children and his at best unhealthy and at most toxic relationship with Cersei Lannister and the rest of her family had only added to the volatile soup pot that was King's Landing.

Before long, things were going to explode and Aliandra knew she would be well out of the way when that happened.

In the meantime however she was just concentrating on keeping her head low and staying out of everyone's way.

However, several days before they were to leave for the north that would prove difficult as she somehow managed to catch the attention of the queen.

Normally Aliandra just made the bed and tidied the room while Cersei wasn't there but on that particular day the queen had returned to her chambers before she should have, muttering something about the king and his stupidity.

Aliandra wisely didn't freeze when she saw her but instead continued making the bed and straightening the pillows.

She did keep one eye on the blonde however as she flounced about the room removing pieces of her jewelry and slapping them down on the dressing table before she too flopped into the chair in front of it.

Aliandra finished her task and was about to leave when Cersei stopped her.

"Girl! My hair is a mess and no one in this godforsaken keep can style it to my liking. Do you know how to fix it?"

This was tricky because in her first life as Padma, she had been responsible for doing Parvati's hair numerous times because her sister had no patience for it.

In this life however, Nym was the only one who had long hair, Ty and Obara preferring to keep theirs short.

But the queen was not to be denied.

"Yes your grace," she said.

"Good," the Lannister woman barked. "Than style it for me. Hopefully you'll have more luck with it than the rest of my simpering idiotic handmaidens."

Carefully Aliandra smoothed down the bedsheet and calmly walked over to the dressing table where the mirror was located doing her best not to look into the queen's eyes as she took hold of the golden strands.

That didn't stop the queen from looking at her however.

"I don't think I've seen you before," she said looking at the brunette through the mirror's reflection closely. "What's your name?"

"Meria your grace," the girl replied immediately. "Meria Sand."

"A bastard," the queen said her tone equal parts intrigued and disgusted. "A Dornish bastard no less. Interesting. Tell me, who was your father?"

Aliandra made a big show of shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know your grace, my mother never told me. Several years ago we came to the capital and she died just after I secured a position here. So I suppose I'll never know now."

"A pity isn't it?" Cersei asked though she didn't sound as if she thought it was a pity at all. In fact her tone had turned rather vicious. "Perhaps its better that way. I find if bastards know who their noble parent is it gives them ideas above their station. Imagine if a bastard were to discover that his father was a king?"

She chuckled but there was no humor in it and Aliandra frowned slightly beneath the curtain of her hair while she continued braiding the queen's. Things were becoming interesting.

Cersei reached for the wine glass that had somehow appeared sitting on the table. Or perhaps it had always been there and she just didn't notice.

Aliandra had realized that the blonde certainly drank a lot.

"Perhaps that is so your grace," she said calmly and Cersei snorted. "But not everyone can have ideas above their station if they don't have knowledge. Don't people say that knowledge is power?"

Cersei snorted again in a surprisingly unladylike manner. "Power is power girl. It doesn't matter who has it. That's all that matters in this world."

She almost seemed to be talking to herself and Aliandra privately wondered if this was something the queen had whispered into her silent chambers in the bitter watches of the night as she lay in a consistently cold bed.

Forget no sex making a man angry, women could be downright vicious when they weren't satisfied.

She wisely decided to say nothing on that subject, after all there was no sense in letting the queen think she was more educated than a servant and bastard should be.

Aliandra was highly educated but given her birth status no one would expect it of her, something that made her irritated.

She may have been in a world with a completely different set of rules, but the prejudice was still the same.

Bastards were treated the same way that Muggleborns were.

But for right now it was better to be barely seen and barely heard so she decided to end off with one final question.

"Why are we going north your grace?"

Cersei snorted again and raised her wine glass to her lips. "I would have thought the servants know everything. My oaf of a husband wishes to name Lord Eddard Stark the new Hand of the King. As if Stark would know anything about it."

Aliandra chose not to comment on that as her own opinions of Stark weren't the most generous herself. "It will be a long journey your grace?"

"Weeks," Cersei spat. "Weeks spent on the road riding through ice and snow that those northern savages live in year round. How could anyone live in such a place?"

Having never seen snow in this life, Aliandra could still remember the snow around Hogwarts and how she and her friend Luna Lovegood would have snowball fights. She still remembered its texture and how cold her hands were after the fight.  
A small part of her was looking forward to seeing it again.

Finally after a long silence she finished with the queen's hair and took a step back, allowing the blonde to look it over.

The queen was quiet for a moment as she observed her reflection in the mirror, tilting her head slowly back and forth.

"Hmm," she said after another silence. "You don't seem to be as incompetent as the rest of my handmaidens. It will do."

Aliandra knew it was as close to a compliment as she was going to get from the harpy so she allowed herself a second of silent victory before she simply nodded.

"You can go now girl," the queen said. "I wish to be alone."

 _That makes two of us,_ the brunette thought. But instead she simply said: "As you wish your grace."

The moment she closed the door behind her, she sighed and leaned against it, closing her eyes.

 _We're going to be spending a lot of time in close quarters on this trip,_ she thought to herself massaging her temples. _I certainly hope I don't have to spend any more time with her than I need to. Her personality is grating enough to sharpen steel. But she's also dense enough to not notice everything around her. I might be able to use that to my advantage._

 _Ω_

A week later both Aliandra and Nym found themselves on the road with the capital a good distance behind them.

To their surprise, both had been allowed their own horses as handmaidens were not allowed to share the wheelhouse with the queen and the princess.

It gave both girls some much needed air and space as they quietly conferred with each other, sharing notes of what they had learned so far.

They were riding far behind the royal party near the wagon which carried many of the numerous trunks that the queen had overseen being packed so they weren't as concerned with being overheard. But when they did have to speak, they did so only by moving their lips.

Something Father had taught all of them was the art of speaking without sound. Aliandra couldn't use her magic as there were too many people around and so they had employ the Muggle technique.

Thankfully they could just pretend they were speaking about the contents of the wagon and no one who wasn't paying extremely close attention would be able to tell what they were saying.

As servants they pretty much went unnoticed as it was but to be strictly fair, they did spend time taking about the queen's possessions that had been dragged along.

The amount of clothing she had was unprecedented and being ever the pragmatist who relied more on knowledge than physical accoutrements, Aliandra was considerably amused and irritated.

 _The city is starving, she has more than she could ever need and yet she sees nothing of what goes on beyond the walls of the Red Keep._

Being a bastard, Aliandra knew exactly how the poor of the city thought because she had seen them in Sunspear.

Her status made it easier for her to sneak around and listen to things that a trueborn daughter would never hear. It also gave her an in with her uncle whom she reported all the information to.

She hadn't checked back in with him since they had left however as it would be too difficult on the road.

And speaking of difficulties, the wheelhouse that the queen and the two youngest royal children were riding in was experiencing some hardship currently.

It had lost a wheel and a crowd of groomsmen were surrounding the contraption trying without success to place the wheel back on its axis.

Aliandra could see the king atop his enormous charger prancing far ahead impatiently as if he were eager to be gone.

The queen herself had exited the wheelhouse and was looking very disgruntled as she watched the proceedings.

"It looks like we're going to be here for a while," Aliandra muttered to her sister who hid a smirk behind her hand.

"That's got to be the most useless contraption I've ever seen," Nym replied. "I swear to the Stranger that every three miles it loses a wheel and we have to stop for a bloody half an hour while the simpletons try to get it back on. Can't you fix it with magic?"

"Certainly, but it would draw unnecessary attention and you know what father said about attention of any kind."

"We are supposed to be no more visible than a commoner."

"Precisely."

Nym snorted after a moment. "Well that may be but I think this would test Father's patience as much as it is testing mine."

"Then it's a good thing he's not here," Aliandra shot back good naturedly.

She had to admit that the case of the inconstant wheelhouse was beginning to irritate her as well and so she made a silent promise to herself that wherever they stopped for the night next, she would sneak out to the royal wheelhouse and place a sticking charm on each wheel to prevent them from moving.

It would be a temporary fix until they reached Winterfell but anything was better than sitting on one's arse waiting for the royal stewards to finish grunting and groaning as they pushed the wheel back into position.

Oh the jokes Father would have about the sounds they were making.

"Do you think we'll be able to go back to Dorne tonight?" Nym asked barely moving her lips. "I'm longing for my own bed."

"Do you wish to get up at the crack of dawn in order to get back here before anyone else moves?" Aliandra asked. "And suppose the queen or one of the royal children needs something in the night. It might ruin our reputations with her. Magic isn't a fix for everything Nym. Sometimes we just have to grin and bear it."

Nymeria sighed. "I know. It just seems as if everything is moving so slowly. I know you and I are usually the patient ones but now we have a weapon that the Lannisters won't be expecting in the form of your magic and we have to wait to use it against them."

Ali raised an eyebrow at her younger sister. "I certainly hope that you don't mean that all our family sees me as is a weapon."

"Of course not!" Nymeria snapped before looking around and lowering her voice again. "But you cannot deny that it would throw a wrench into any Lannister plans. We have waited so long for revenge and now it feels as if we are being told to wait a little while longer."

"Unfortunately that is just the way that life turns sometimes," Aliandra said. "Don't fret sister. Before long we will be in the North and our plans will be complete."

"Speaking of the north," Nym said as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "Is it just me or is it getting colder by the day? Gods I knew father said it would be cold but I didn't think it would be this cold."

"It's the north Nym," Ali said wryly. "Within a few weeks we'll see snow for the first time. Be glad that Father made us pack all manner of warm clothes."

"Not to mention your warming charms," the other girl said. "I have a feeling we'll need those before long."

All of a sudden from just ahead of them there was the sound of cheers and both girls looked up to see that finally the stewards had succeeded in wrestling the enormous wheel back onto the spoke of the cantankerous contraption.

"How long was that?" Nym asked.

"Approximately a half of an hour," Ali said with a smile.

"Damn," the other Sand Snake fished a dragon out of a pocket in her pocket and flipped it over to her sister who caught it deftly between two fingers. "I'll win the next one."

"You wish."

Ω

 _Several weeks later…._

Aliandra glanced over to her right at her sister and had to stifle a laugh. Nym was dressed to the nines in nearly every piece of clothing she had brought with her and appeared to be a small sheep amongst all that wool.

She had commented on the likeness to her sister earlier and the younger Sand Snake had not been impressed.

Ali had simply saved her by casting a silent warming charm on them both. Even though they were both reasonably warm, they had to keep up the appearance of being as cold as everyone else otherwise that would draw unwanted attention.

Thankfully most of the attention was now being focused on the fact that Winterfell was just ahead.

After weeks of long travel, sleeping in tiny cramped inns and having to deal with the worst punishment known to man that was saddle sores, they were finally within sight of their destination.

There had been a few highlights along the way though, namely the expression on Nym's face when she had seen snow for the first time.

Her mouth had dropped open as it fell from the sky and surrounded her, creating a halo on her dark hair and all at once the hardness and cunning that was so characteristic of all of the Sand Snakes had fallen from her face.

She was a child again experiencing a new toy.

But her reaction was nothing compared to that of Tommen and Myrcella Baratheon, the latter of whom had given a shriek of delight when she had stepped outside of the wheelhouse to be confronted with the white cold landscape.

"Look Tommen!" she had cried. "It's snowing. Let's play!"

Their mother had called out something after them but both children had paid her no attention as they had plunged head long into the snow.

Aliandra watched them carefully as they had stopped for a morsel to eat and the children were eager to leave the confines of the wheelhouse.

She couldn't blame them. After becoming used to apparating everywhere she wanted to go, the weeks on the road on horseback had tried even her patience.

And then Prince Tommen had lost one of his cats in the snow. Why he had brought even one was beyond the understanding of Aliandra but the deed was done and as a result Queen Cersei had enlisted her and Nym's help in locating the wayward feline.

That had taken longer than any of them would have liked.

 _"_ _Are you sure he went this way my prince?" Aliandra had asked as they had trudged through ankle deep snow across the farmer's field._

 _"_ _I'm positive!" the little prince insisted as Preston Greenfield lagged behind them. "Ser Whiskers loves to explore! But he can't have gone far."_

 _Aliandra gave a half smile as Nym rolled her eyes at her._

 _Ser Whiskers was the kitten she had somehow managed to procure for Tommen after the crown prince had killed his cat in the weeks before they had left the capital. He was a grey cat with a patch of white on his nose and four paws as well as more whiskers than Aliandra had ever seen, prompting the name out of the little prince._

 _Tommen had been enthralled with the gift and the Dornish bastard feared he now thought of her as a friend, something that was dangerous in the game she and Nym were feeling._

 _Already she was feeling slightly protective of the tiny blonde who was no more than eight years old and that was a risky position to be in._

 _"_ _The critter can't have survived such a snow," Ser Meryn muttered behind them. "It's likely dead."_

 _Fortunately Tommen didn't hear that and Aliandra sent a scathing glare behind her at the Kingsguard. All she got was a leer in response._

 _Gods but she hated that man as well. He was Cersei Lannister's puppet through and through and she had a feeling he had only been given the position because he liked getting his hands dirty in the most vile and profane way possible._

 _She would be looking for the day when she could end his miserable and unholy existence too._

 _"_ _I found him!" called out the voice of Nym from a tree in the field slightly to their right. She was standing at it foot and was on her toes as she just managed to snatch a fluffy grey and white kitten from half way up the tree._

 _It was a lucky thing that she had because Whiskers had appeared to be contemplating the merits of going higher when he was caught._

 _"_ _There you are my prince," Nym replied plopping the wayward cat down into its masters arms. "Try to keep a tighter hold on him when you go out to play next time alright?"_

 _Tommen beamed up at her. "Okay!"_

And that had been the end of that.

Nym had of course rolled her eyes earlier at the littlest prince's antics in losing his cat and questioned why he had brought the creature with him in the first place. When Ali had told her sister that she had been responsible for getting the cat for him after the unfortunate demise of his first one, Nym's response had been to roll her eyes.

 _"_ _I certainly hope that doesn't come back to bite us," she had said._

 _"_ _It won't," her sister had assured her._

And it hadn't, in fact the only thing that was biting right now was the wind as it whistled around them.

It had stopped snowing thankfully but every member of their party was still hunched inside their cloaks and sitting atop their horses they looked rather like bumps on a log.

"There it is," Nym whispered pointing. "We're finally here."

Aliandra looked up from over the top of her mount and realized that they had come to the top of a hill overlooking a wide snowy plain. The sky was grey and the air was brisk and snow crunched under the feet of their horses as they walked. Steam rose from their nostrils in vast amounts and the wheels of the many wagons that had been brought with them creaked as they rolled over the snow.

But what really drew Aliandra's attention was the presence of the enormous fortress seated like a slumbering giant across the plain. It must have spanned several acres and looked like it was protected by more than one wall. There were several enormous towers jutting up from behind the walls that were made of grey and white stone.

All in all it was rather impressive in a cold formal sort of way. No keep would be as beautiful as Sunspear in her opinion but there was something appealing in the strength of the ancient castle.

Nym appeared to be of a similar mindset.

"It certainly is impressive," she observed. "I just hope its warmer inside than out."

"I think the queen will be of the same mindset," Ali quipped back. "I'm more interested in the Starks. Ned Stark is said to have a large family. If what the king intends to do is right than many of them will be coming back to the capital. It's bound to make the political climate more interesting."

"Always the schemer weren't you?" Nym snorted.

"Seeing as how I've spent the most amount of time with our lordly patron, don't you think it would be odd if I wasn't."

"Hmm, just see to it that all of this scheming doesn't get us into trouble," Nym muttered back. "It won't be the same here as it is in the capital or the south for that matter."

"No it won't be. The North seems like a much harsher place for politics. Everyone we've passed looks tough and grizzled. Let's hope we don't become that way as well."

Ω

Several hours later when all the hubbub of long awaited greetings had passed and the keep of Winterfell was calm once more, Aliandra found herself walking along the walls of Winterfell outside of the great hall.

The hall itself had reminded her something of Hogwarts great hall. The same long tables had been set up to seat the enormous amount of guests that had arrived and right now everyone was feasting to their hearts content.

The music was loud enough to be heard from all over the ancestral seat of the north and the very sound of it was beginning to give Aliandra a headache.

Nym was no doubt still inside keeping an eye on the royal children but she hadn't seen much of her sister since they had arrived.

The king had greeted the Starks with the same back slapping gusto that he appeared to do nearly everything with and they had appeared equally as glad to see him.

Ned Stark did indeed have a large family with three trueborn sons and two trueborn daughters. Well actually that wasn't strictly true. One son had remained in the back ground behind his family and looked more like Ned Stark than his own heir did.

He had dark hair hanging to his shoulders in long loose curls and the same silvery grey eyes of his father. He too was wearing furs and there was a white direwolf pup sitting at his feet.

Nym had blanched at the sight of the ancient wolves as had many in their party but she had recovered quickly enough.

"Well that's certainly interesting," she had muttered.

And then her eyes had turned to the bastard son of Ned Stark and one eyebrow had risen along with a corner of her mouth as she had looked him up and down from their distance away. "He's certainly a pretty one isn't he?"

Aliandra rolled her eyes. "Hands to yourself remember? We have a job to do."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't look can I? North men are prettier than I thought. Though Robb Stark looks more Tully than Stark."

Of that she was correct, Ned Stark's two eldest children both had auburn hair and blue eyes like their mother whilst the rest were a curious mix of Stark and Tully.

The queen and Joffrey had looked around the room with a curious mixture of disdain whilst the two youngest children had appeared wide eyed at the new surroundings.

It hadn't taken Tommen or Brandon Stark long to take a liking to one another however and had wasted no time in racing about the keep. Myrcella had very primly spoken to Sansa Stark and then the two had gone off somewhere with the girl's septa following close behind them.

After that, both Nym and Ali had been tasked with helping the rest of the servants unpack and get the royal trunks situated in their rooms.

Queen Cersei's own chambers were generous, the floor was covered with furs and there was a banner of House Stark hanging above the large stone fireplace. It was rather cozy but Aliandra had a feeling that the queen wouldn't like it.

She hadn't like anything about the journey north.

At the moment though she wasn't needed and the feast was in full swing in the keep prompting her need for air and an escape.

The snow was falling softly and even though there was a warming charm cast about her clothes, Aliandra enjoyed the feeling of the fresh snow falling on her upturned face and the time alone.

Except she didn't remain so for long.

The sound of large padded feet atop the snow caught her attention a moment later as she was looking out over Winterfell's high walls and she looked to her right. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment when she saw the white furry animal padding up to her.

It was no bigger than a hound but she had a feeling that wouldn't be so for long. Not knowing a lot about Direwolves, Aliandra did know that they were creatures of myth, growing to enormous proportions. Some fully grown Direvolves were the size of small horses and she had no doubt that this beast would grow to that size.

But what really struck her were its eyes. They were a deep blood red, as deep a red as the leaves of some of trees she had seen in the godswood a few hours earlier.

How strange.

And then she blinked remembering the master that this beast belonged to. Surely it wasn't alone.

Completely unafraid the wolf prowled right up to her and then looked up at her as if assessing whether or not she would be worthwhile to eat.

Although there was a knife strapped to her outer thigh beneath her clothing, Aliandra didn't move her hand towards it. Dogs could sense when someone felt threatened as well as fear and though she wasn't afraid, she certainly knew enough to be cautious.

But then to her surprise after watching her for a minute or so, the white wolf began smelling her and capped off his startling response by butting her hand with his nose as if he were looking for some attention.

"Well aren't you friendly?" Aliandra muttered before lightly resting her hand atop its head. "But where's your master?"

The question had no sooner been asked when all of a sudden a voice broke through the silence atop the wall.

"Ghost? There you are. My apologies my lady I hope he's not bothering you."

Aliandra looked up in time to see a figure in grey Stark colors coming towards her. There were furs on his back and his hair was hanging loose about his shoulders allowing her a second's worth of wonder before she realized that this was Jon Snow.

Ned Stark's bastard appeared to have stepped out of the feast same as she had and was walking the same walls.

She gave him a small smile as he got closer. "I'm no lady my lord, just a servant."

"And I'm not a lord," he said as he came to a stop in front of her and she got her first good look at him.

Nym was right, he certainly was attractive. But there appeared to be this sort of weight on his shoulders the cause of which she knew not.

But then every man she had seen in this keep seemed to carry themselves with a sort of gravity that was missing in the south.

Perhaps that had something to do with the weather however.

She smiled at him as he came closer. "Jon Snow isn't it?"

"Aye," he said cocking his head to one side as he looked at her. "But I don't believe I know your name."

"It's Meria," she said. "Meria Sand."

A strange expression came over Snow's face as if he hadn't expected that answer. "You're a…"

"A bastard?" she asked with a smile. "Yes I am and a Dornish one at that. I take it you haven't met any other bastards have you?"

A muscle jerked in his cheek at the word and her nonchalant use of it and she could tell such a word didn't sit well with him.

"Does that bother you?" she asked curiously.

Snow shrugged rather noncommittally but she knew she had her answer. "Never liked the word is all."

Aliandra cocked her head to one side. "Why? It's just a word. People like you and me…we're an anomaly. The rest of polite society doesn't know what to make of us so they have to rationalize us with what they think is cruelty. But we can't help our parentage any more than they can."

Jon gave her a curious look as if she had said something he had never contemplated before. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Being a bastard?" she asked. "No, why should it? I've never aspired to be a noble lady and I have a lot more freedom now that I don't. No one can tell me who I will marry and if I want to travel I can. My life will be simple but it will be uncomplicated and I can't complain about that."

Snow snorted as he looked out over the wall into the darkening night and the winter storm that was beginning to brew. "I wish it were as simple as all that."

Aliandra's frown deepened. "It is. Well at least it is in the south. I've never been north before so I wouldn't know how it works here. Let me guess though, you get along well with Lord Stark's children and they regard you as a sibling. But you're still somewhat on the fringe's of society here, not truly fitting in but not really sticking out either. As a bastard you've searched for your place and you're not certain you're going to find it here. So that leaves you in a state of flux. But of course you've felt that way your whole life haven't you?"

Jon turned to face her, his expression completely blank but she knew she had hit the nail on the head.

"Are you always this perceptive?" he asked simply.

Ali shrugged with a smile. "No doubt one of my many flaws."

"Well, things must be very different in the south. Isn't Dorne more accepting of bastards?"

Ali conceded the point. "They are, but at least you know who your father is and he is thought to be the most honorable man in the Seven Kingdoms."

"You don't know who your father is?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"No," she replied the lie falling easily from her lips. No one could know Oberyn Martell was her father. "My mother never told me about him and she died not long after I came to the capital to serve the royal court."

"I'm sorry," Jon said and he sounded surprisingly empathetic. "At least you have some memory of her though. I don't know who my mother is. My father never told me."

Aliandra frowned. That piece of information was interesting as her father had told her that when Lord Stark ventured into the south to retrieve his sister and avenge his father and brother that there had been no child and yet he had returned from the war with a bastard son. No one knew who the boy's mother was and Ali knew her father would have liked to find something like that out. More information was necessary.

 _Perhaps its time to do some investigating,_ she thought to herself. _It'll be to sate my own curiosity but it wouldn't help to know more._

She decided not to press for more information and changed the subject. This conversation was interesting enough that she didn't feel the desire to leave it.

"Are you not enjoying the feast then?" she asked. "I must say, you north men throw quite a party."

It might have been her imagination but she could have sworn she saw a corner of his mouth lift in a small half smile. Such a gesture nearly brought one of her own to her face. In the hours she had seen him, she had never seen him smile and even the slight gesture made an extraordinary difference.

"Just needed some air," he said. "It was getting loud and when I looked down Ghost was nowhere to be found so I went looking for him."

Ali glanced down at the white wolf in front of her where her hand was still resting on her head. "He's certainly friendly isn't he?"

The slight curling of the lips returned. "He's not usually like that. He must like you. Anyone who comes near me he regards with suspicion."

"Well then I guess your wolf is a good judge of character," Aliandra quipped easily.

"Aren't you cold?" Jon asked suddenly. "You're only wearing a cloak."

Before she could say anything else, he had whipped off the outer fur he was wearing and placed it somewhat awkwardly about her shoulders.

Aliandra raised an eyebrow and then smiled at him. "And I thought chivalry only existed in the south."

"Not everything is as it appears," Jon said with a complete straight face.

The fur was rather big on her but it was extremely warm and she was somewhat touched by the gesture.

"So how did you get a job serving the queen?" he asked as if changing the subject and she smirked. "It's not that hard really. I knew someone who worked in the keep. He was able to get me in there and servants change like fruit on a tree so there wasn't really any problems."

"And what do you think of the north?" he asked.

"Well of the little I have seen since coming here," Aliandra said. "The cold will have to be something I become used to but in a strange way it's a beautiful place."

Jon blinked at her as if he wasn't expecting that answer and then snorted. "You're the first I've talked to that's said that."

"Well then hopefully I won't be the last," Aliandra said he surprised her with a chuckle. "Let's hope not. I had better get back inside. Good night my lady."

"It's Meria," she said as he turned to go.

"Well then, its Jon," he said to her with the same tiny smile he had born before. "Goodnight."

Aliandra watched him as he left the wall and strode back towards the keep with a small smile on her face. There went an interesting character. And right then and there she made a silent pledge to keep an eye on Jon Snow for the rest of their stay. He would bear watching.

Ω

 **So there we have it, the first meeting between Jon and Aliandra. Rest assured it will not be the last. There will be many interactions to come during the rest of her stay. Plus there will be a few surprises coming in the next few chapters. Be on the lookout for them. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Bloody hell," Nymeria groused, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as if trying to warm them. "Why did you drag me out of bed at this hour?"

Aliandra gave her a wry smile as the two walked down the darkened hallway under the cover of her magic and silencing charms. "Because I couldn't sleep and there's something that I'm curious about."

"Again, I don't see why your curiosity is the reason that I'm awake," her sister grumbled. "It was hard enough to tell asleep on that damned pallet as it was. And just when I had managed to get comfortable you came in. Where were you anyway? You left the feasting hall and never came back."  
"I was getting acquainted with Winterfell," Aliandra said cryptically and her sister raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?" Because Stark's bastard not long after you did and he didn't come back to the hall either. You wouldn't have been making his acquaintance now would you?"

The taller brunette smirked. Her sister really did know her too well. "I may have met him."

Nymeria's irritation expression faded somewhat. "I swear I'll need to borrow some of your luck. This place is freezing but if I had him or his brother to warm me up…well it might not be so bad. What was he like?"

"Serious," Ali said sobering somewhat, "very serious. Sometimes I forget how poorly bastards are treated north of Dorne."

"He certainly didn't seem to be suffering much," Nym said dismissively. "He wasn't allowed to eat at his father's table with the rest of the Starks but neither are we at our father's table."

"I know," Ali said softly. "But we know that we are accepted in Dorne and won't be ridiculed. The word bastard isn't a word someone can use as a shaming tool against us. And even if someone tried, Father trained us on how to deal with that. Don't you remember what he always says?"

"Cut a man's tongue before he can use it against you," Nymeria replied with a vicious smile. "I actually did that once."

Aliandra snorted. "I remember, you almost took his head off with it."

Her sister shrugged. "I can't have people thinking they can say whatever they want to me and I'll just roll over and play dead. There's consequences for everything people say and do."

"Well you certainly can't do that here," Ali said in a low voice. "Much as I might like to see you try."

They continued on down the darkened corridor, carefully noting the doors that they passed for future reference. Guards were everywhere and even though there were silencing charms placed around them, both fell silent as they gingerly passed armored men standing outside the chambers.

Once they had left the guards behind, Nymeria turned to her older sister. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Any information we can find on Stark's family history," Ali whispered back. "Not to sound cliché but every family has their secrets and the North has been all but closed off since the war. As an added bonus, he and Baratheon were raised together, any other information we can find about our illustrious king would be very helpful."

"What more do we need to know about him?" Nymeria muttered scornfully. "The man eats too much, whores too much and seems quite happy to drink himself into an early grave."

Aliandra shook her head. "Those are only the things you can see. I want to know about the things that we cannot see."

Be it luck or impeccable timing those words left her mouth the moment the pair of them reached the chamber that Aliandra had been looking for.

Lord Stark's solar.

When she realized what room they would be breaking into, Nymeria raised an eyebrow at her older sister. "I suppose I should be impressed that you've got the balls to do this but I'm also wondering just how crazy you are."

"No one will even know that we're here," Aliandra said, waving her hand nonchalantly. "We passed all those guards with no one being the wiser. Have some faith sister. We've made it this far."

Nymeria's only response was to snort and Aliandra ignored the long suffering look she was certain the other girl was giving her and focused on the door handle itself.

Placing her hand flat against the lock, she whispered the charm that would unstopper the door under her breath.

For a half second, only silence greeted the pair of them. Aliandra narrowed her eyes at the door and was just about to utter the words to the spell a second time when there was a creak and a slight groan and the door swung free on its hinges.

She exchanged a pair of glances with her sister before she darted in. Nym followed and shut the door behind them as quietly as possible.

"We'd better not be here for too long," she whispered, "and leave everything as you left it otherwise there might be people who would get wise to an intrusion."  
Aliandra nodded even though both girls knew that her magic was as much of a failsafe as one could get in this world.  
"Whatever you pick up, put back," she said. "Start with the papers on his desk. I'll search the drawers."

What followed was an hour of searching the solar high and low for whatever secrets the Stark lord might be hiding. Though they found documents detailing the season's harvest as well as letters between himself and his vassals, most of the information was basic and rudimentary, just as one might expect.

After a while, Nym straightened up from the desk and glared at her sister. "I think Lord Stark is even more boring on paper than he is in person. How is it possible that a person is so utterly uninteresting?"

Aliandra shrugged. She too was feeling frustrated and wondering if her hunches were proving fallible. She wasn't ready to give up just yet though. They had come looking for any information of a sensitive nature and she was certain that there was some here. No man was spotless after all.

Stark had a bastard to prove it.

Thinking of Jon Snow caused Aliandra's eyes to narrow. He was an anomaly with a loose end. No one knew who his mother was even though the timeline of the war would suggest that he had been born in Dorne.

Stark had gone after his sister without a bastard after all and then returned with one.

 _I suppose its possible for his mother to have been Dornish,_ she mused. _But he takes after his father in every way so its difficult to know. On the other hand, his conception could have happened anywhere between here and Dorne and the child might have been brought to him by one of his bannermen. No one really knows._  
She sighed, suddenly feeling infinitely more frustrated. "Let's go. This search has been fruitless and it'll be morning before long. The last think we need is someone coming in here before we are well away."  
"Finally," Nymeria said rolling her eyes. "Perhaps I can finally get some sleep. Although that pallet might as well be wood so I doubt it."  
"I'll soften it," Aliandra promised as they slipped out of the room and her sister shot her a genuinely grateful smile. "Thanks. This trip has been uncomfortable so far but there's no need for our sleep to be disturbed as well."

"Well here's something that will make you comfortable," her older sister whispered as they walked back down the hall. "We'll return to Dorne tomorrow to make a full report. We can get warm then."

Nymeria breathed a sigh of relief, "finally. I was beginning to think we'd never see home again."

"We'll see home whenever we want to, don't you remember?" Ali asked. "The beach and the ocean are never far away."

Ω

The following morning saw a day that was even colder than the last in Aliandra's opinion. Britain had been cold and rainy for Padma Patil but it would have felt like a holiday in the Carribean compared to the north of Westeros.

 _How do people live up here without magic?_ She groused to herself as she stalked through the courtyard towards the stables. _It's bone chilling beyond my worst nightmares!_

She had ducked down to the stables to check on Princess Myrcella's horse. The girl had a very soft heart and was worried about the state of the creature in this freezing cold. She had cautiously asked Aliandra who usually saw to her needs as well as her brother's and the Queen's, if she might check on him.  
Aliandra wasn't certain what she thought of the royal children. Of Joffrey there could be no ambiguity but the other two were pleasant and confusing surprises.

A few years ago she wouldn't have thought it possible that two children of such sweet dispositions could come from such a bitter creature like Cersei Lannister but then this only served the purpose of proving that children are not their parents.

 _I wonder what Aegon and Rhaenys would have been liked had they lived,_ she thought with a bitterness that only knowing death could cause. _I am certain that they would have been just as sweet and gentle._

After she had seen to Myrcella's horse and was assured that the creature was in perfect condition by one of the groomsmen, the Dornish girl turned around to go back inside.

She had gone no more than a few paces from the stable however when the sound of metal clanging together and shouts caught her attention.

Curious, she adjusted her route and followed the noise until she found herself on the edge of the training grounds.

Two young men were currently occupying a large square of dirt. A taller man who must have been the master at arms, was standing at the edge of it while the other two were currently going at it hammer and tongs.

Right away she recognized one of them as Jon Snow and a slight smirk turned her mouth upward as she watched him knowledgeably work his way around a sword fight.

He and the other young man, whom she recognized as Robb Stark were only holding practice swords but they didn't seem to allow the knowledge to hold back their strikes.

Both seemed as if they had something to prove with the heavy strikes they were landing and Aliandra privately decided it looked as if they were blowing off steam. She had a feeling that the royal visit was stressful and likely they wanted to get away from their guests for a bit.

As she watched the mechanics of the fight however, she realized that some of the sword movements were wide sweeping gestures which left their bodies vulnerable to a kill strike.

There was a reason she preferred shorter blades as opposed to the long swords they were currently using. They allowed for more concentrated strikes and swifter ends to matches.

After all why draw out an exhausting exercise when you could end it with one quick thrust?

Still….it did present an interesting observing experience, although Aliandra would admit to herself that she spent more time watching their forms than she did their strokes.

She would pride herself on recognizing quality after all.

The heir to Winterfell was exceedingly good looking but the brunette found her eyes increasingly drawn to Snow.

Perhaps it had been his mannerism with her the night before or the fact that they had developed a slight rapport over the fact that they were both bastards. But whatever it was, she found she was watching him far more than the other two.

A small part of her knew she should be getting back, but still she lingered.

After a time, a servant hurried up to the three of them looking rather breathless and holding some sort of message.

The heir to Winterfell took it and scanned it before saying something to his bastard brother, handing him his practice sword and then hurrying off with Roderick Cassel.

In a way, it warmed Aliandra to see the relationship that the two of them appeared to have. That was another thing that north and south had in common it seemed. Her cousins all treated her and her sisters as family despite their status and birth. Family was family and it didn't matter who's mother they belonged to, Martells stuck together.

That appeared to be a literal truth here as well for Aliandra had seen that Jon Snow was plainly loved by his siblings and seemed to want for very little…except perhaps a legitimate name.

Perhaps it was that common ground that persuaded her to walk towards him.

He had bent down and was seeing to the practice sword on the ground and was just beginning to straighten up when she reached him.

"You're pretty good," she said and he started slightly before looking up.

When he locked eyes with her, he blinked slightly as if she had been the last person he was expecting.

Although truthfully, why would he have been expecting her.

"My – " he caught himself before he said the word lady. "Meria."

"Jon," she said looking him over. She might have called him Snow as she and her sister called everyone by their surname that they were not close to, but she had a feeling that that might bother him given their earlier conversation.

He straightened fully and blinked at her again. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing?"

Aliandra raised an eyebrow at him. "The princess asked me to see about her horse that's in your stables. She's got a bit of a soft heart and wanted to make sure the beast wasn't too cold."

To her surprise, the corner of Jon's mouth turned upward in a smile. "Did she now? I hope you'll be able to tell her grace that our stables are quite warm."

"I will indeed," Aliandra replied. "You northerners are certainly very good at this lifestyle."

Jon hefted both practice swords in his hands and looked at her oddly. "Well we've had thousands of years worth of practice. What's it like in Dorne?"

"Hot," Aliandra said smiling wryly. "So in essence, very different from here. Where I lived, the ocean was never far away and we made our living fishing."

"We?" Jon asked and she was surprised to see that he looked almost curious.

She followed him over to the rack where the other swords were kept as she wasn't certain she wanted to abandon the conversation just yet.

"Yes," she said. "Before my mother died, my step father and brother would make a living by fishing. When they came in from the water in the evening, I would help them wash and mend the nets before putting them away for the evening."

It might have been her imagination but she thought she saw a flash of interest in Jon's grey eyes. "So your mother married again?"

"Oh yes," she said easily, again not surprised at how simple it was to lie. Her whole existence in Winterfell was a falsehood after all. "I was the oldest child, born before my step father and mother met."

"And he didn't a problem with….." whatever Jon might have been about to say trailed off and died. She was surprised to see the tips of his ears turn slightly pink and she cocked her head to one side. "With me not being his daughter? No. I didn't have a choice in my birth after all and after a while he grew to love me as much as he loved my half brother."

Jon dropped the practice swords on the rack with what seemed like more than necessary vigor. "He sounds like an honorable man."

A part of Aliandra wanted to smirk at the differences between the man she was describing and her actual father. Though Oberyn was honorable to his family and his loyalties were plain, he would not hesitate to stick a knife in the back of anyone who crossed him.  
"I don't know how much of it was honor," she said shrugging. "Part of me feels like it would have been a waste of energy to hate a child who was born before he loved my mother."  
A curious look crossed Jon's handsome face and for a second it resembled wistfulness to Aliandra. "Do you still talk to him?"

"I receive a letter from him every few months," she affirmed. "Even after my mother died and I went to the capital, he wanted to make sure I was taking care of myself at all times. I knew he would have taken care of me if I stayed but the last thing I wanted to be was a burden and I wanted to make something of myself….so I left."

Jon was quiet for a long while and Aliandra wondered if he had disappeared behind the curtain of brooding that she was certain he was famous for.

Like his father, Jon Snow appeared to be a man who thought first and then spoke.

"Was it hard leaving?" he asked finally.

"Of course it was," Aliandra said softly. "But I left knowing that I was loved and that no matter what I did, my future would always be open to me."

To this Jon said nothing for a moment. But then he looked at her and she was pleased once more to see a small smile on his face. "It's nice to have a choice isn't it?"

"Meria?"

Aliandra blinked and turned at the familiar sound, only to see her sister standing a few feet away. She had obviously come from the Great Hall as her footsteps in the snow led straight from the doors.

She looked curiously as if she were trying not to smile upon seeing the two of them and Aliandra knew she was going to be teased later. "Yes?"

"Her grace, Princess Myrcella was looking for you," Nym said, her eyes darting back and forth between her and Jon. "I told her I would see where you were. She's very anxious to see how Snowball is doing."

Aliandra sucked at her teeth for a half second before replying. "Very well, I suppose I should return to the princess. I wouldn't want her to worry after all."

She turned to the dark haired young man beside her and gave him a small smile. "It was nice talking to you again Jon."

Without giving him a change to reply, she turned and strode off with Nym beside her back to the hall.

"I can't leave you alone for one minute before you corner some helpless man," Nym teased under her breath as they walked away.

"Shut up," Aliandra chuckled. "Father never said we couldn't have some fun while we were here."

Ω

"I have a question for you."

Doran Martell looked up from the letter he was reading at his two nieces who had just strode into his study. He didn't seem surprised at all at their sudden appearance but Aliandra knew she had worn out her uncle's propensity for surprise long ago. When she had first demonstrated the benefits of apparition to him at the age of ten, his eyes had gleamed like two shiny new coins.

Right then and there she had a feeling that the role she played for her uncle was going to be far different than the one her sister's did.

Oberyn who had been sitting with his brother, smiled upon seeing them and got up from the couch to give both girls a hug.

"How is the north?" Doran asked, responding to her question with a question.

"Bloody freezing," Nymeria drawled, "did you expect it to be any other way?"

Doran raised an eyebrow at her. "I didn't expect for you to focus on the weather at all. Tell me of Baratheon, tell me of the Lannisters. What have you learned?"

Aliandra exchanged a look with her sister. "Very little so far. We have learned that Prince Joffrey is a monster of his mother's making, that King Robert's sloth and lethargy rival that of a sleeping bear, that Lord Stark has been asked to be the new Hand of the King and he is currently dallying in his decision."

Doran was silent for a moment and raised his goblet of wine to his lips. "Is that all?"

"All for now," Aliandra replied. "Frankly Uncle Doran, I don't really know why this is necessary. I could end the Lannisters and Baratheon with a snap of my fingers, so why is this long drawn out reconnaissance necessary?"

The Prince of Dorne regarded her for a moment before turning his wheeled chair around and guiding it out onto the balcony of his study that overlooked the ocean beyond. "Come here child."

Again, the two sisters exchanged looks and Nymeria shrugged before sitting down next to their father who jerked his head at his eldest to follow her uncle.

She sighed a bit to herself before leaving the chamber and stepping out on the balcony beside the prince.

He was silent for a moment though his eyes remained fixed on the far off waves as if he could see the most interesting things happening. "What do you remember of your aunt's death?"

Aliandra blinked before swallowing hard. "Very little. I was only a small child when word reached us of her death."

Doran nodded and she wondered why he was bringing this us. He knew she had never met her aunt.  
"She loved those waves," he said in a suddenly soft voice that surprised Ali a bit. "She was never more happy than when she was sitting on the shore or in the water and that happiness extended from her childhood years to her adult ones."

"Why are you telling me this uncle?" his niece asked.

"Because I want you to understand a bit better the person that your aunt was, the light that she embodied before she was taken from us too soon."

Aliandra narrowed her eyes at the man sitting beside her and leaned against the railing, focusing on him instead of the waves, wisely, she remained silent.

"I remember receiving letters from her about her the water in the capital," he continued. "Even though she would tell me it was not nearly as nice as our shores here, she made the most of it….she always did. I am certain that you and your sisters would have loved her as we did."

Unbidden, a lump rose in Aliandra's throat and with an effort, she swallowed it. "I know I would have."

Finally, he looked at her. "Your aunt was a gentle soul who gave of herself and adapted to a situation that became increasingly volatile during her last years of life. And she remained strong in spite of everything."

The gentle look of sorrow on his face suddenly morphed almost terrifyingly into one of cold hard stone. "But it didn't matter because Lannister and his cronies saw to her extinction. Aliandra, I don't want to merely kill the Lannisters…I want to break them down brick by brick, piece by piece, utterly destroy them in every way possible before we take their lives. I want Tywin Lannister's legacy to absolutely crumble and I wish for him to be the last to die knowing that everything he tried to accomplish was in vain. And then…..I want him to understand who did it…and why."

Standing there, next to the prince of Dorne, Aliandra could almost feel the heat radiating off him from his impassioned words and it might have been her imagination but she almost began to feel a fire lit in her own heart.

"Thank you Uncle," she said at last in a soft voice. "For the reminder, I think I needed to hear it."

"Good," Doran said, nodding with a snap before he returned to his usual persona which was all business. "Now what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

Aliandra blinked, coming back to her and Nymeria's reason for being there beyond a simple update.

"What do you know of Eddard Stark's time in Dorne?"

There was a sudden rustling behind her and she looked up to see her father standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest and his eyes narrowed. Nym was standing next to him, rolling a fig back and forth between her hands.

"What of it?" her father asked.

"Ali's developed a bit of an infatuation," Nym said winking at her sister and Aliandra rolled her eyes. "Not in the least."

She turned back to her uncle. "Stark has a bastard son, Jon Snow by name. No one knows who his mother was or what his origins are. But Stark was here in Dorne, was he not. His sister was being held here wasn't she?"

"She was," Doran said running a hand across the side of his face. "At the Tower of Joy. I've always wondered about that day. It was said that Stark fought against the remaining members of the Kingsguard in Gerold Hightower, Arthur Dayne, Oswell Whent, and Jonothar Darry. Only two men walked away from that tower alive, Stark and one of his bannermen."

"What are you thinking daughter?" Oberyn asked narrowing his eyes.

Aliandra spread her hands. "Nothing much father. It's just a hunch I have. Most of what we have discovered of the Lannisters thus far, we already know. It will not take much to sow the seeds of discontent even deeper between the royal party. So I've decided to pursue the uncovering of other secrets."

"Stark's secrets?" Oberyn asked. "The man is as stale as the crust of bread we give to the birds. What makes you think there is any deeper secrets he is keeping?"

"I only have a hunch," Aliandra said. "But the more we know about Stark's time in Dorne the better. Other than the deaths of his comrades, we know nothing about what happened when he was here. And call it a hunch or my own morbid curiosity but I want to know why and what happened. Is it possible for us to make a trip to the Tower of Joy?"

Oberyn's eyes narrowed a bit at her question. "I have always wondered what happened there but in the aftermath of the war, I never dwelt on it much. What are you thinking daughter?"

Aliandra shook her head. "I'm not thinking anything father, I truly have no ideas of Stark, his bastard, or even the war itself. It's just that Jon Snow is a loose end from a war that was full of them. And I am beginning to wonder whether or not it will benefit us to know as much as we can about the past, especially the parts that don't directly affect us. Didn't you tell me Uncle Doran that we need to know every facet of an enemy or a situation before we engage. It's why Dorne has been so silent in the last few decades yes?"

Doran had said very little in the last little while but his eyes had narrowed on her face as if he were thinking hard about something.

"So then we need to know more," Aliandra went on. "About everything. We cannot afford to be just sending out one or two tendrils like Nym and me. Send Obara and Tyene to the capital, explore all the geographic locations where our enemies were. We need to find their weak spots and we need to know all the information, even the obscure bits that we think don't matter."

She was surprised to see a slight smile on Oberyn's face when she said these words but it was her uncle who answered.

"Your patience does you credit niece," he said slowly. "Very well, I was planning to send your sisters to the capital to do some investigating. I suppose I will send them earlier than I intended. Follow your hunches, wherever they may lead, but do not lose sight of our objective."

Aliandra fixed the prince with a shark like smile. "Of that uncle, you can lay your concerns to rest. We will be skinning lions."

Ω

 **Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel if you have not already. The channel name is Kaetie Mac. I would greatly appreciate any new subscribers as I am trying to grow my author platform. Thank you! So of Jon's origins and Stark's secrets, Aliandra knows nothing. She knows absolutely nothing, all she knows is that she's curious and she wants to know more. Jon is intriguing to her because he's very different from the other bastards that she met. They've been raised in a similar fashion and she curious about him. So again, I don't want anyone to think that she has some sort of telepathy, because its not there. A lot of people have wondered about who Jon's mother was but no one's found it interesting enough to investigate. Aliandra does find the subject interesting, so she is. That's all that's happening here. In the next chapter, things become a bit more intriguing. Stay tuned.**


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